New single-aircraft integrated atmospheric observation capabilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Z.

2011-12-01

Improving current weather and climate model capabilities requires better understandings of many atmospheric processes. Thus, advancing atmospheric observation capabilities has been regarded as the highest imperatives to advance the atmospheric science in the 21st century. Under the NSF CAREER support, we focus on developing new airborne observation capabilities through the developments of new instrumentations and the single-aircraft integration of multiple remote sensors with in situ probes. Two compact Wyoming cloud lidars were built to work together with a 183 GHz microwave radiometer, a multi-beam Wyoming cloud radar and in situ probes for cloud studies. The synergy of these remote sensor measurements allows us to better resolve the vertical structure of cloud microphysical properties and cloud scale dynamics. Together with detailed in situ data for aerosol, cloud, water vapor and dynamics, we developed the most advanced observational capability to study cloud-scale properties and processes from a single aircraft (Fig. 1). A compact Raman lidar was also built to work together with in situ sampling to characterize boundary layer aerosol and water vapor distributions for many important atmospheric processes studies, such as, air-sea interaction and convective initialization. Case studies will be presented to illustrate these new observation capabilities.

Application of computational fluid mechanics to atmospheric pollution problems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hung, R. J.; Liaw, G. S.; Smith, R. E.

1986-01-01

One of the most noticeable effects of air pollution on the properties of the atmosphere is the reduction in visibility. This paper reports the results of investigations of the fluid dynamical and microphysical processes involved in the formation of advection fog on aerosols from combustion-related pollutants, as condensation nuclei. The effects of a polydisperse aerosol distribution, on the condensation/nucleation processes which cause the reduction in visibility are studied. This study demonstrates how computational fluid mechanics and heat transfer modeling can be applied to simulate the life cycle of the atmosphereic pollution problems.

BOREAS (Boreal Ecosystem-Atmosphere Study): Global change and biosphere-atmosphere interactions in the boreal forest

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sellers, Piers J.

1991-01-01

The Boreal Ecosystems Atmosphere Study (BOREAS) is a cooperative field and analysis project involving elements of land surface climatology, tropospheric chemistry, and terrestrial ecology. The goal of the study is to understand the interactions between the boreal forest biome and the atmosphere in order to clarify their roles in global change. The study will be centered on two 20 by 20 km sites within the North American boreal forest region, located near the northern and southern limits of the biome. Studies based at these sites will be used to explore the roles of various environmental factors in controlling the extent and character of the biome. The sites will be the subject of surface, airborne, and satellite based observations which aim to improve understanding of the biological and physical processes and states which govern the exchanges of energy, water, carbon, and trace gases between boreal forest ecosystems and the atmosphere. Particular reference will be made to those processes and states that may be sensitive to global change. The study also aims to develop the use of remote sensing techniques to transfer understanding of the above process from local scales out to regional scales. The BOREAS project is being planned for 1992-1996, with a major field effort in 1994.

STOCHASTIC TRANSIENTS AS A SOURCE OF QUASI-PERIODIC PROCESSES IN THE SOLAR ATMOSPHERE

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yuan, Ding; Walsh, Robert W.; Su, Jiangtao

2016-06-01

Solar dynamics and turbulence occur at all heights of the solar atmosphere and could be described as stochastic processes. We propose that finite-lifetime transients recurring at a certain place could trigger quasi-periodic processes in the associated structures. In this study, we developed a mathematical model for finite-lifetime and randomly occurring transients, and found that quasi-periodic processes with periods longer than the timescale of the transients, are detectable intrinsically in the form of trains. We simulate their propagation in an empirical solar atmospheric model with chromosphere, transition region, and corona. We found that, due to the filtering effect of the chromosphericmore » cavity, only the resonance period of the acoustic resonator is able to propagate to the upper atmosphere; such a scenario is applicable to slow magnetoacoustic waves in sunspots and active regions. If the thermal structure of the atmosphere is less wild and acoustic resonance does not take place, the long-period oscillations could propagate to the upper atmosphere. Such a case would be more likely to occur in polar plumes.« less

Progress in the analysis of complex atmospheric particles

DOE PAGES

Laskin, Alexander; Gilles, Mary K.; Knopf, Daniel A.; ...

2016-06-01

This study presents an overview of recent advances in field and laboratory studies of atmospheric particles formed in processes of environmental air-surface interactions. The overarching goal of these studies is to advance predictive understanding of atmospheric particle composition, particle chemistry during aging, and their environmental impacts. The diversity between chemical constituents and lateral heterogeneity within individual particles adds to the chemical complexity of particles and their surfaces. Once emitted, particles undergo transformation via atmospheric aging processes that further modify their complex composition. We highlight a range of modern analytical approaches that enable multimodal chemical characterization of particles with both molecularmore » and lateral specificity. When combined, these approaches provide a comprehensive arsenal of tools for understanding the nature of particles at air-surface interactions and their reactivity and transformations with atmospheric aging. We discuss applications of these novel approaches in recent studies and highlight additional research areas to explore the environmental effects of air-surface interactions.« less

New insight into atmospheric mercury emissions from zinc smelters using mass flow analysis.

PubMed

Wu, Qingru; Wang, Shuxiao; Hui, Mulin; Wang, Fengyang; Zhang, Lei; Duan, Lei; Luo, Yao

2015-03-17

The mercury (Hg) flow paths from three zinc (Zn) smelters indicated that a large quantity of Hg, approximately 38.0-57.0% of the total Hg input, was stored as acid slag in the landfill sites. Approximately 15.0-27.1% of the Hg input was emitted into water or stored as open-dumped slags, and 3.3-14.5% of the Hg input ended in sulfuric acid. Atmospheric Hg emissions, accounting for 1.4-9.6% of the total Hg input, were from both the Zn production and waste disposal processes. Atmospheric Hg emissions from the waste disposal processes accounted for 40.6, 89.6, and 94.6% of the total atmospheric Hg emissions of the three studied smelters, respectively. The Zn production process mainly contributed to oxidized Hg (Hg2+) emissions, whereas the waste disposal process generated mostly elemental Hg (Hg0) emissions. When the emissions from these two processes are considered together, the emission proportion of the Hg2+ mass was 51, 46, and 29% in smelters A, B, and C, respectively. These results indicated that approximately 10.8±5.8 t of atmospheric Hg emissions from the waste disposal process were ignored in recent inventories. Therefore, the total atmospheric Hg emissions from the Zn industry of China should be approximately 50 t.

The MAGO experiment for dust environment monitoring on the Martian surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Palumbo, P.; Battaglia, R.; Brucato, J. R.; Colangeli, L.; della Corte, V.; Esposito, F.; Ferrini, G.; Mazzotta Epifani, E.; Mennella, V.; Palomba, E.; Panizza, A.; Rotundi, A.

2004-01-01

Among the main directions identified for future Martian exploration, the study of the properties of dust dispersed in the atmosphere, its cycle and the impact on climate are considered of primary relevance. Dust storms, dust devils and the dust ``cycle'' have been identified and studied by past remote and in situ experiments, but little quantitative information is available on these processes, so far. The airborne dust contributes to the determination of the dynamic and thermodynamic evolution of the atmosphere, including the large-scale circulation processes and its impact on the climate of Mars. Moreover, aeolian erosion, redistribution of dust on the surface and weathering processes are mostly known only qualitatively. In order to improve our knowledge of the airborne dust evolution and other atmospheric processes, it is mandatory to measure the amount, mass-size distribution and dynamical properties of solid particles in the Martian atmosphere as a function of time. In this context, there is clearly a need for the implementation of experiments dedicated to study directly atmospheric dust. The Martian atmospheric grain observer (MAGO) experiment is aimed at providing direct quantitative measurements of mass and size distributions of dust particles, a goal that has never been fully achieved so far. The instrument design combines three types of sensors to monitor in situ the dust mass flux (micro balance system, MBS) and single grain properties (grain detection system, GDS+impact sensor, IS). Technical solutions and science capabilities are discussed in this paper.

Computer image processing: Geologic applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abrams, M. J.

1978-01-01

Computer image processing of digital data was performed to support several geological studies. The specific goals were to: (1) relate the mineral content to the spectral reflectance of certain geologic materials, (2) determine the influence of environmental factors, such as atmosphere and vegetation, and (3) improve image processing techniques. For detection of spectral differences related to mineralogy, the technique of band ratioing was found to be the most useful. The influence of atmospheric scattering and methods to correct for the scattering were also studied. Two techniques were used to correct for atmospheric effects: (1) dark object subtraction, (2) normalization of use of ground spectral measurements. Of the two, the first technique proved to be the most successful for removing the effects of atmospheric scattering. A digital mosaic was produced from two side-lapping LANDSAT frames. The advantages were that the same enhancement algorithm can be applied to both frames, and there is no seam where the two images are joined.

What Should We Be Teaching about the Atmosphere?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Atkinson, Bruce

1978-01-01

Because study of climatology in most college and university geography departments is descriptive, it gives no fundamental insights into geophysical processes. In order to achieve a quantified understanding of atmospheric processes, geographers must have expertise in mathematics, physics, and instrumentation. For journal availability, see 506 593.…

Numerical and experimental study of the thermal degradation process during the atmospheric re-entry of a TiAl6V4 tank

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prévereaud, Y.; Vérant, J.-L.; Balat-Pichelin, M.; Moschetta, J.-M.

2016-05-01

To answer the question of space debris survivability during atmospheric entry ONERA uses its software named MUSIC/FAST. So, the first part of this paper is dedicated to the presentation of the ONERA tool and its validation by comparison with flight data and CFD computations. However, the influence of oxidation on the thermal degradation process and material properties in atmospheric entry conditions is still unknown. A second step is then devoted to the presentation of an experimental campaign investigating TA6V oxidation in atmospheric entry conditions, as the most of the debris found on ground are made of this material. Experiments have been realized using the MESOX facility implemented at the 6 kW solar furnace in PROMES-CNRS laboratory. Finally, an application of MUSIC/FAST is proposed on the atmospheric re-entry of a generic TA6V tank. Aiming at degradation assessment, a sensitive study to initial conditions is conducted. To complete computational analysis regarding degradation process by melting, a numerical analysis of the influence of oxidation on the thermal wall degradation during the tank atmospheric re-entry is presented as well.

Sulfur Chemistry in the Early and Present Atmosphere of Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Levine, Joel S.; Summers, M. E.

2011-01-01

Atmospheric sulfur species resulting from volcanic emissions impact the composition and chemistry of the atmosphere, impact the climate, and hence, the habitability of Mars and impact the mineralogy and composition of the surface of Mars. The geochemical/ photochemical cycling of sulfur species between the interior (via volcanism), the atmosphere (atmospheric photochemical and chemical processes) and the deposition of sulfuric acid on the surface of Mars is an important, but as yet poorly understood geochemical/ photochemical cycle on Mars. There is no observational evidence to indicate that Mars is volcanically active at the present time, however, there is strong evidence that volcanism was an important and widespread process on early Mars. The chemistry and photochemistry of sulfur species in the early and present atmosphere of Mars will be assessed using a one-dimensional photochemical model. Since it is generally assumed that the atmosphere of early Mars was significantly denser than the present 6-millibar atmosphere, photochemical calculations were performed for the present atmosphere and for the atmosphere of early Mars with assumed surface pressures of 60 and 350-millibars, where higher surface pressure resulted from enhanced atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2). The following sections include the results of earlier modeling studies, a summary of the one-dimensional photochemical model used in this study, a summary of the photochemistry and chemistry of sulfur species in the atmosphere of Mars and some of the results of the calculations.

Surface Ocean-Lower Atmosphere Studies: SOLAS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wanninkhof, R.; Dickerson, R.; Barber, R.; Capone, D. G.; Duce, R.; Erickson, D.; Keene, W. C.; Lenschow, D.; Matrai, P. A.; McGillis, W.; McGillicuddy, D.; Penner, J.; Pszenny, A.

2002-05-01

The US Surface Ocean - Lower Atmosphere Study (US SOLAS) is a component of an international program (SOLAS) with an overall goal: to achieve a quantitative understanding of the key biogeochemical-physical interactions between the ocean and atmosphere, and of how this coupled system affects and is affected by climateand environmental change. There is increasing evidence that the biogeochemical cycles containing the building blocks of life such as carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur have been perturbed. These changes result in appreciable impacts and feedbacks in the SOLA region. The exact nature of the impacts and feedbacks are poorly constrained because of sparse observations, in particular relating to the connectivity and interrelationships between the major biogeochemical cycles and their interaction with physical forcing. It is in these areas that the research and the interdisciplinary research approaches advocated in US SOLAS will provide high returns. The research in US SOLAS will be heavily focused on process studies of the natural variability of key processes, anthropogenic perturbation of the processes, and the positive and negative feedbacks the processes will have on the biogeochemical cycles in the SOLA region. A major objective is to integrate the process study findings with the results from large-scale observations and with small and large- scale modeling and remote sensing efforts to improve our mechanistic understanding of large scale biogeochemical and physical phenomena and feedbacks. US SOLAS held an open workshop in May 2001 to lay the groundwork for the SOLAS program in the United States. Resulting highlights and issues will be summarized around 4 major themes: (1) Boundary-layer Physics, (2) Dynamics of long-lived climate relevant compounds, (3) Dynamics of short-lived climate relevant compounds, and (4) Atmospheric effects on marine biogeochemical processes. Comprehensive reports from the working groups of U.S. SOLAS, and the international science plan which served as overall guidance, can be found at We will explore possible dedicated, interdisciplinary ocean-atmosphere projects as examples of the critical interconnectivity of atmospheric, interfacial, and upper ocean processes to study phenomena of critical importance in understanding the earth's system.

Disequilibrium in planetary atmospheres and the search for habitability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simoncini, E.

It has long been observed that Earth's atmosphere is uniquely far from its thermochemical equilibrium state in terms of its chemical composition. Studying this state of disequilibrium is important for its potential role in the detection of life on other suitable planets \\citep{Lovelock_1965,Kleidon_2010,Simoncini_2015}. We developed a methodology to calculate the extent of atmospheric chemical disequilibrium\\citep{Simoncini_2015,Kondepudi_1996}. This tool allows us to understand, on a thermodynamic basis, how life affected - and still affects - geochemical processes on Earth, and if other planetary atmospheres are habitable or have a disequilibrium similar to the Earth's one. A new computational framework called KROME has been applied to atmospheric models in order to give a correct computation of reactions´ kinetics \\citep{Grassi_2015}. In this work we present a first computation of the extent of disequilibrium for the present Earth atmosphere, considering the specific contribution of the different atmospheric processes, such as thermochemical reactions, eddy diffusion, photochemistry, deposition, and the effect of the biosphere. We then assess the effect of life on atmospheric disequilibrium of the Earth and provide a useful discussion about how the study of atmospheric disequilibrium can help in finding habitable (exo)planets. We finally compare the chemical disequilibrium of Earth and Mars atmospheres, for present and early conditions.

The Essential Role for Laboratory Studies in Atmospheric Chemistry.

PubMed

Burkholder, James B; Abbatt, Jonathan P D; Barnes, Ian; Roberts, James M; Melamed, Megan L; Ammann, Markus; Bertram, Allan K; Cappa, Christopher D; Carlton, Annmarie G; Carpenter, Lucy J; Crowley, John N; Dubowski, Yael; George, Christian; Heard, Dwayne E; Herrmann, Hartmut; Keutsch, Frank N; Kroll, Jesse H; McNeill, V Faye; Ng, Nga Lee; Nizkorodov, Sergey A; Orlando, John J; Percival, Carl J; Picquet-Varrault, Bénédicte; Rudich, Yinon; Seakins, Paul W; Surratt, Jason D; Tanimoto, Hiroshi; Thornton, Joel A; Tong, Zhu; Tyndall, Geoffrey S; Wahner, Andreas; Weschler, Charles J; Wilson, Kevin R; Ziemann, Paul J

2017-03-07

Laboratory studies of atmospheric chemistry characterize the nature of atmospherically relevant processes down to the molecular level, providing fundamental information used to assess how human activities drive environmental phenomena such as climate change, urban air pollution, ecosystem health, indoor air quality, and stratospheric ozone depletion. Laboratory studies have a central role in addressing the incomplete fundamental knowledge of atmospheric chemistry. This article highlights the evolving science needs for this community and emphasizes how our knowledge is far from complete, hindering our ability to predict the future state of our atmosphere and to respond to emerging global environmental change issues. Laboratory studies provide rich opportunities to expand our understanding of the atmosphere via collaborative research with the modeling and field measurement communities, and with neighboring disciplines.

Soil type influences the sensitivity of nutrient dynamics to changes in atmospheric CO2

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Numerous studies have indicated that increases in atmospheric CO2 have the potential to decrease nitrogen availability through the process of progressive nitrogen limitation (PNL). The timing and magnitude of PNL in field experiments is varied due to numerous ecosystem processes. Here we examined ...

Soil type influences the sensitivity of nutrient dynamics to changes in atmospheric CO2

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Numerous studies have indicated that increases in atmospheric CO2 have the potential to decrease nitrogen availability through the process of progressive nitrogen limitation (PNL). The timing and magnitude of PNL in field experiments is varied due to numerous ecosystem processes. Here we examined th...

NASA/MSFC FY91 Global Scale Atmospheric Processes Research Program Review

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leslie, Fred W. (Editor)

1991-01-01

The reports presented at the annual Marshall Research Review of Earth Science and Applications are compiled. The following subject areas are covered: understanding of atmospheric processes in a variety of spatial and temporal scales; measurements of geophysical parameters; measurements on a global scale from space; the Mission to Planet Earth Program (comprised of and Earth Observation System and the scientific strategy to analyze these data); and satellite data analysis and fundamental studies of atmospheric dynamics.

A short overview of the microbial population in clouds: Potential roles in atmospheric chemistry and nucleation processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Delort, Anne-Marie; Vaïtilingom, Mickael; Amato, Pierre; Sancelme, Martine; Parazols, Marius; Mailhot, Gilles; Laj, Paolo; Deguillaume, Laurent

2010-11-01

Recent studies showed that living microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi and yeasts, are present in the atmospheric water phase (fog and clouds) and their role in chemical processes may have been underestimated. At the interface between atmospheric science and microbiology, information about this field of science suffers from the fact that not all recent findings are efficiently conveyed to both scientific communities. The purpose of this paper is therefore to provide a short overview of recent work linked to living organisms in the atmospheric water phase, from their activation to cloud droplets and ice crystal, to their potential impact on atmospheric chemical processes. This paper is focused on the microorganisms present in clouds and on the role they could play in atmospheric chemistry and nucleation processes. First, the life cycle of microorganisms via the atmosphere is examined, including their aerosolization from sources, their integration into clouds and their wet deposition on the ground. Second, special attention is paid to the possible impacts of microorganisms on liquid and ice nucleation processes. Third, a short description of the microorganisms that have been found in clouds and their variability in numbers and diversity is presented, emphasizing some specific characteristics that could favour their occurrence in cloud droplets. In the last section, the potential role of microbial activity as an alternative route to photochemical reaction pathways in cloud chemistry is discussed.

Machine processing of S-192 and supporting aircraft data: Studies of atmospheric effects, agricultural classifications, and land resource mapping

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thomson, F.

1975-01-01

Two tasks of machine processing of S-192 multispectral scanner data are reviewed. In the first task, the effects of changing atmospheric and base altitude on the ability to machine-classify agricultural crops were investigated. A classifier and atmospheric effects simulation model was devised and its accuracy verified by comparison of its predicted results with S-192 processed results. In the second task, land resource maps of a mountainous area near Cripple Creek, Colorado were prepared from S-192 data collected on 4 August 1973.

Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Evaluation of Routine Atmospheric Sounding Measurements using Unmanned Systems (ERASMUS)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

De Boer, Gijs

Data were collected to improve understanding of the Arctic troposphere, and to provide researchers with a focused case-study period for future observational and modeling studies pertaining to Arctic atmospheric processes.

The atmospheric degradation of methyl isocyanate (CH3NCO), a toxic substance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Papanastasiou, D. K.; Bernard, F.; Burkholder, J. B.

2016-12-01

Alkyl isocyanates (R-NCO), as well as isocyanic acid (HNCO), are toxic substances that are emitted into the atmosphere during incomplete combustion of biomass and also formed as products in the atmospheric photooxidation of nitrogen-containing organic species. For example, methyl isocyanate (MIC, CH3NCO) is formed in the atmospheric photochemical transformation of methylisothiocyanate (CH3NCS), a widely used soil fumigant, as well as in the atmospheric photooxidation of amides, such as N-methylformamide. MIC is of particular interest to society because of the possible exposure to this toxic trace compound (recommended exposure limit is 0.02 ppm) in the aftermath of fumigation. Although, there are limited observations of atmospheric MIC (mostly nearby agricultural/fumigation activities) the possibility of emission from combustion processes, such as wildfires, warrants future study. The atmospheric lifetime and fate (gas phase and heterogeneous chemistry) of CH3NCO are presently not well characterized with only a single study of the OH + CH3NCO reaction rate coefficient available in the literature. Additional results from fundamental laboratory studies regarding the major atmospheric degradation pathways of MIC are needed for input to air quality, health, and environmental impact studies. In this study, the reaction of CH3NCO with OH radicals was investigated using pulsed laser photolysis coupled with laser induced fluorescence detection of the OH radical. The rate coefficients, k(OH+CH3NCO), were determined over a range of temperature (295-375 K) and pressure (40-100 Torr, He). The present results are in significant disagreement with the recently published relative rate study. A relative rate kinetic method was also used in this study for comparison and the problems associated with these measurements will be discussed. The atmospheric lifetime of MIC with respect to its gas-phase reaction with OH radicals is estimated to be 85 days, which implies the possibility for long-range transport. In addition, the UV absorption spectrum of CH3NCO at 295 K was measured between 185 and 260 nm and UV photolysis is considered to be a relatively minor atmospheric loss process. The importance of gas phase and heterogeneous removal processes for CH3NCO and the atmospheric degradation mechanism will be discussed.

Progress in the Analysis of Complex Atmospheric Particles

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Laskin, Alexander; Gilles, Mary K.; Knopf, Daniel A.

2016-06-16

This manuscript presents an overview on recent advances in field and laboratory studies of atmospheric particles formed in processes of environmental air-surfaces interactions. The overarching goal of these studies is to advance predictive understanding of atmospheric particle composition, particle chemistry during aging, and their environmental impacts. The diversity between chemical constituents and lateral heterogeneity within individual particles adds to the chemical complexity of particles and their surfaces. Once emitted, particles undergo transformation via atmospheric aging processes that further modify their complex composition. We highlight a range of modern analytical approaches that enable multi-modal chemical characterization of particles with both molecularmore » and lateral specificity. When combined, they provide a comprehensive arsenal of tools for understanding the nature of particles at air-surface interactions and their reactivity and transformations with atmospheric aging. We discuss applications of these novel approaches in recent studies and highlight additional research areas to explore environmental effects of air-surface interactions.« less

AICE Survey of USSR Air Pollution Literature, Volume 13: Technical Papers from the Leningrad International Symposium on the Meteorological Aspects of Atmospheric Pollution, Part 2.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nuttonson, M. Y., Ed.

Twelve papers were translated from Russian: Automation of Information Processing Involved in Experimental Studies of Atmospheric Diffusion, Micrometeorological Characteristics of Atmospheric Pollution Conditions, Study of theInfluence of Irregularities of the Earth's Surface on the Air Flow Characteristics in a Wind Tunnel, Use of Parameters of…

Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS): A program to study global ozone change

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

A general overview of NASA's Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) program is presented in a broad based informational publication. The UARS will be responsible for carrying out the first systematic, comprehensive study of the stratosphere and will furnish important new data on the mesosphere and thermosphere. The UARS mission objectives are to provide an increased understanding of energy input into the upper atmosphere; global photochemistry of the upper atmosphere; dynamics of the upper atmosphere; coupling among these processes; and coupling between the upper and lower atmosphere. These mission objectives are briefly described along with the UARS on-board instrumentation and related data management systems.

STUDYING ATMOSPHERE-DOMINATED HOT JUPITER KEPLER PHASE CURVES: EVIDENCE THAT INHOMOGENEOUS ATMOSPHERIC REFLECTION IS COMMON

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shporer, Avi; Hu, Renyu

2015-10-15

We identify three Kepler transiting planets, Kepler-7b, Kepler-12b, and Kepler-41b, whose orbital phase-folded light curves are dominated by planetary atmospheric processes including thermal emission and reflected light, while the impact of non-atmospheric (i.e., gravitational) processes, including beaming (Doppler boosting) and tidal ellipsoidal distortion, is negligible. Therefore, those systems allow a direct view of their atmospheres without being hampered by the approximations used in the inclusion of both atmospheric and non-atmospheric processes when modeling the phase-curve shape. We present here the analysis of Kepler-12b and Kepler-41b atmosphere based on their Kepler phase curve, while the analysis of Kepler-7b was already presentedmore » elsewhere. The model we used efficiently computes reflection and thermal emission contributions to the phase curve, including inhomogeneous atmospheric reflection due to longitudinally varying cloud coverage. We confirm Kepler-12b and Kepler-41b show a westward phase shift between the brightest region on the planetary surface and the substellar point, similar to Kepler-7b. We find that reflective clouds located on the west side of the substellar point can explain the phase shift. The existence of inhomogeneous atmospheric reflection in all three of our targets, selected due to their atmosphere-dominated Kepler phase curve, suggests this phenomenon is common. Therefore, it is also likely to be present in planetary phase curves that do not allow a direct view of the planetary atmosphere as they contain additional orbital processes. We discuss the implications of a bright-spot shift on the analysis of phase curves where both atmospheric and gravitational processes appear, including the mass discrepancy seen in some cases between the companion’s mass derived from the beaming and ellipsoidal photometric amplitudes. Finally, we discuss the potential detection of non-transiting but otherwise similar planets, whose mass is too small to show a gravitational photometric signal, but their atmosphere is reflective enough to show detectable phase modulations.« less

The Essential Role for Laboratory Studies in Atmospheric Chemistry

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Burkholder, James B.; Abbatt, Jonathan P. D.; Barnes, Ian

Laboratory studies of atmospheric chemistry characterize the nature of atmospherically relevant processes down to the molecular level, providing fundamental information used to assess how human activities drive environmental phenomena such as climate change, urban air pollution, ecosystem health, indoor air quality, and stratospheric ozone depletion. Laboratory studies have a central role in addressing the incomplete fundamental knowledge of atmospheric chemistry. This paper highlights the evolving science needs for this community and emphasizes how our knowledge is far from complete, hindering our ability to predict the future state of our atmosphere and to respond to emerging global environmental change issues. Finally,more » laboratory studies provide rich opportunities to expand our understanding of the atmosphere via collaborative research with the modeling and field measurement communities, and with neighboring disciplines.« less

Interaction of Graphene ribbon with atmospheric chemical species

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-04-14

graphene ribbons is an important process in interaction of atmospheric radical with graphene. This study examines how the size of the graphene ribbon...an important process in interaction of atmospheric  radical  with  graphene.   This  study  examines how  the  size of  the  graphene  ribbon affects  the... journals   [a1]  Journal  name:CARBON              Title: Size dependence of graphene chemistry: A computational  study  on CO desorption reaction    Date

Drivers of atmospheric nitrate processing and export in forested catchments

Treesearch

Lucy A. Rose; Stephen D. Sebestyen; Emily M. Elliott; Keisuke Koba

2015-01-01

Increased deposition of reactive atmospheric N has resulted in the nitrogen saturation of many forested catchments worldwide. Isotope-based studies from multiple forest sites report low proportions (mean = ~10%) of unprocessed atmospheric nitrate in streams during baseflow, regardless of N deposition or nitrate export rates. Given similar proportions of...

On the division of contribution of the atmosphere and ocean in the radiation of the earth for the tasks of remote sensing and climate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sushkevich, T. A.; Strelkov, S. A.; Maksakova, S. V.

2017-11-01

We are talking about the national achievements of the world level in theory of radiation transfer in the system atmosphere-oceans and about the modern scientific potential developing in Russia, which adequately provides a methodological basis for theoretical and computational studies of radiation processes and radiation fields in the natural environments with the use of supercomputers and massively parallel processing for problems of remote sensing and the climate of Earth. A model of the radiation field in system "clouds cover the atmosphere-ocean" to the separation of the contributions of clouds, atmosphere and ocean.

Maximum Drawdown of Atmospheric CO2 due to Biological Uptake in the Ocean and the Ocean Temperature Effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Odalen, M.; Nycander, J.; Oliver, K. I. C.; Nilsson, J.; Brodeau, L.; Ridgwell, A.

2016-02-01

During glacials, atmospheric CO2 is significantly lowered; the decrease is about 1/3 or 90 ppm during the last four glacial cycles. Since the ocean reservoir of carbon, and hence the ocean capacity for storing carbon, is substantially larger than the atmospheric and terrestrial counterparts, it is likely that this lowering was caused by ocean processes, drawing the CO2 into the deep ocean. The Southern Ocean circulation and biological efficiency are widely accepted as having played an important part in this CO2 drawdown. However, the relative effects of different processes contributing to this oceanic uptake have not yet been well constrained. In this work, we focus on better constraining two of these processes; 1) the effect of increased efficiency of the biological carbon uptake, and 2) the effect of changes in global mean ocean temperature on the abiotic ocean-atmosphere CO2 equilibrium. By performing ensemble runs using an Earth System Model of Intermediate Complexity (EMIC) we examine the changes in atmospheric pCO2 achieved by 100% nutrient utilization efficiency of biology. The simulations display different ocean circulation patterns and hence different global ocean mean temperatures. By restoring the atmospheric pCO2 to a target value during the spin-up phase, the total carbon content differs between each of the ensemble members. The difference is due to circulation having direct effects on biology, but also on global ocean mean temperature, changing the solubility of CO2. This study reveals the relative importance of of the processes 1 and 2 (mentioned above) for atmospheric pCO2 in a changed climate. The results of this study also show that a difference in carbon content after spin-up can have a significant effect on the drawdown potential of a maximised biological efficiency. Thus, the choice of spin-up characteristics in a model study of climate change CO2 dynamics may significantly affect the outcome of the study.

Land-Atmosphere Interactions in Cold Environments (LATICE): The role of Atmosphere - Biosphere - Cryosphere - Hydrosphere interactions in a changing climate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burkhart, J. F.; Tallaksen, L. M.; Stordal, F.; Berntsen, T.; Westermann, S.; Kristjansson, J. E.; Etzelmuller, B.; Hagen, J. O.; Schuler, T.; Hamran, S. E.; Lande, T. S.; Bryn, A.

2015-12-01

Climate change is impacting the high latitudes more rapidly and significantly than any other region of the Earth because of feedback processes between the atmosphere and the underlying surface. A warmer climate has already led to thawing of permafrost, reducing snow cover and a longer growing season; changes, which in turn influence the atmospheric circulation and the hydrological cycle. Still, many studies rely on one-way coupling between the atmosphere and the land surface, thereby neglecting important interactions and feedbacks. The observation, understanding and prediction of such processes from local to regional and global scales, represent a major scientific challenge that requires multidisciplinary scientific effort. The successful integration of earth observations (remote and in-situ data) and model development requires a harmonized research effort between earth system scientists, modelers and the developers of technologies and sensors. LATICE, which is recognized as a priority research area by the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences at the University of Oslo, aims to advance the knowledge base concerning land atmosphere interactions and their role in controlling climate variability and climate change at high northern latitudes. The consortium consists of an interdisciplinary team of experts from the atmospheric and terrestrial (hydrosphere, cryosphere and biosphere) research groups, together with key expertise on earth observations and novel sensor technologies. LATICE addresses critical knowledge gaps in the current climate assessment capacity through: Improving parameterizations of processes in earth system models controlling the interactions and feedbacks between the land (snow, ice, permafrost, soil and vegetation) and the atmosphere at high latitudes, including the boreal, alpine and artic zone. Assessing the influence of climate and land cover changes on water and energy fluxes. Integrating remote earth observations with in-situ data and suitable models to allow studies of finer-scale processes governing land-atmosphere interactions. Addressing observational challenges through the development of novel observational products and networks.

Modelling of Soluble Iron Formation, Transport and Deposition to the North Pacific Ocean, Role of Anthropogenic Pollutants.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Solmon, F.; Chuang, P.; Meskhidze, N.

2006-12-01

Soluble iron deposited via atmospheric processes represents an important nutrient for open ocean ecosystems, which might influence phytoplancton productivity and atmospheric carbon uptake. Atmospheric deposition of mineral dust is known to be the essential supply of iron to the ocean. However, most of the iron contained in mineral particles is unsoluble, whereas only the soluble fraction of the iron is thought to be effectively bio-available. There is still a great deal of uncertainties in the estimation of this fraction and the representation of iron solubilisation processes in the atmosphere. In this scope, we present a modeling study aiming at better representing such processes. In particular, we focus on the different roles of anthropogenic chemical compounds in the atmospheric iron cycle and deposition. These roles are of two orders : (i) the acidification of mineral particles by anthropogenic compounds influencing the solubilisation of the iron transported and (ii) the direct emission, transport and deposition of iron emitted by anthropogenic activities. For this study, we implement a set of specific mechanisms in the global chemistry transport model GEOS- CHEM. Our study focuses on the East Asia - North pacific outflow, a region where interactions between dust and pollution are particularly likely to occur and where the ocean ecosystem is known to be iron limited.

Reviews and perspectives of high impact atmospheric processes in the Mediterranean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Michaelides, Silas; Karacostas, Theodore; Sánchez, Jose Luis; Retalis, Adrianos; Pytharoulis, Ioannis; Homar, Víctor; Romero, Romualdo; Zanis, Prodromos; Giannakopoulos, Christos; Bühl, Johannes; Ansmann, Albert; Merino, Andrés; Melcón, Pablo; Lagouvardos, Konstantinos; Kotroni, Vassiliki; Bruggeman, Adriana; López-Moreno, Juan Ignacio; Berthet, Claude; Katragkou, Eleni; Tymvios, Filippos; Hadjimitsis, Diofantos G.; Mamouri, Rodanthi-Elisavet; Nisantzi, Argyro

2018-08-01

The Mediterranean region is a unique area characterized by a large spectrum of atmospheric phenomena, some of which have a high impact on many aspects of human activities, safety and wellbeing. The area is long considered as a hot spot of such atmospheric phenomena deserving multidisciplinary scientific attention. The scientific research that has been carried out on these high impact atmospheric processes that occur in the Mediterranean area is indeed widespread and the available international literature is very extensive. The paper touches initially the temperature and precipitation regimes, followed by a discussion of floods and droughts. The exciting cyclogenetic patterns of explosive cyclones and medicanes are presented in separate sections. The lightning activity and the presence of dust and other pollutants are also presented herein. The atmospheric chemistry of the region which is increasingly becoming of utmost importance for the area under study is distinctly discussed. Attempts to modify the weather (the precipitation, in particular) are outlined too. The effects of climatic change on various atmospheric processes are considered throughout this paper, in addition to a dedicated section on temperature and precipitation.

A comparative study of APLI and APCI in IMS at atmospheric pressure to reveal and explain peak broadening effects by the use of APLI.

PubMed

Ihlenborg, Marvin; Raupers, Björn; Gunzer, Frank; Grotemeyer, Jürgen

2015-11-21

The details of the ionization mechanism in atmospheric pressure are still not completely known. In order to obtain further insight into the occurring processes in atmospheric pressure laser ionization (APLI) a comparative study of atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) and APLI is presented in this paper. This study is carried out using similar experimental condition at atmospheric pressure employing a commercial ion mobility spectrometer (IMS). Two different peak broadening mechanisms can then be assigned, one related to a range of different species generated and detected, and furthermore for the first time a power broadening effect on the signals can be identified.

A qualitative assessment of a random process proposed as an atmospheric turbulence model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sidwell, K.

1977-01-01

A random process is formed by the product of two Gaussian processes and the sum of that product with a third Gaussian process. The resulting total random process is interpreted as the sum of an amplitude modulated process and a slowly varying, random mean value. The properties of the process are examined, including an interpretation of the process in terms of the physical structure of atmospheric motions. The inclusion of the mean value variation gives an improved representation of the properties of atmospheric motions, since the resulting process can account for the differences in the statistical properties of atmospheric velocity components and their gradients. The application of the process to atmospheric turbulence problems, including the response of aircraft dynamic systems, is examined. The effects of the mean value variation upon aircraft loads are small in most cases, but can be important in the measurement and interpretation of atmospheric turbulence data.

Detailed Chemical Characterization of Unresolved Complex Mixtures (UCM) inAtmospheric Organics: Insights into Emission Sources, Atmospheric Processing andSecondary Organic Aerosol Formation

EPA Science Inventory

Recent studies suggest that semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs) are important precursors to secondary organic aerosol (SOA) in urban atmospheres. However, knowledge of the chemical composition of SVOCs is limited by current analytical techniques, which are typically unable to...

ENVIRONMENTAL APPLICATIONS OF NOVEL INSTRUMENTATION FOR MEASUREMENT OF LEAD ISOTOPE RATIOS IN ATMOSPHERIC POLLUTION SOURCE APPORTIONMENT STUDIES

EPA Science Inventory

In spite of the reduced flux of lead to the atmosphere from the combustion of leaded gasoline, anthropogenic sources still dominate the supply of lead to the atmosphere and the environment. Emissions from coal and oil combustion, industrial processes, and municipal incineration w...

Influence of Suprathermal Atoms on the Escape and Evolution of Mars' CO2 Atmosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lichtenegger, H.; Amerstorfer, U. V.; Gröller, H.; Tian, F.; Lammer, H.; Noack, L.; Johnstone, C.; Tu, L.

2017-09-01

Suprathermal oxygen and carbon atoms are produced by photochemical processes in the upper atmosphere of Mars. Due to their relatively high energies, these particle form an extended corona around Mars and can be picked up by the solar wind and emoved from the planet. The influence of an increased EUV flux, as it prevailed in the past, on the formation of the corona is studied and the corresponding loss rates are estimated. It is shown that the atmospheric loss due to the various processes varies with time and that most of the initial CO2 atmosphere is removed within the first few hundred million years after the formation of the planet. These results are important in order to better understand the atmosphere evolution of terrestrial planets.

Effects of Topography-based Subgrid Structures on Land Surface Modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tesfa, T. K.; Ruby, L.; Brunke, M.; Thornton, P. E.; Zeng, X.; Ghan, S. J.

2017-12-01

Topography has major control on land surface processes through its influence on atmospheric forcing, soil and vegetation properties, network topology and drainage area. Consequently, accurate climate and land surface simulations in mountainous regions cannot be achieved without considering the effects of topographic spatial heterogeneity. To test a computationally less expensive hyper-resolution land surface modeling approach, we developed topography-based landunits within a hierarchical subgrid spatial structure to improve representation of land surface processes in the ACME Land Model (ALM) with minimal increase in computational demand, while improving the ability to capture the spatial heterogeneity of atmospheric forcing and land cover influenced by topography. This study focuses on evaluation of the impacts of the new spatial structures on modeling land surface processes. As a first step, we compare ALM simulations with and without subgrid topography and driven by grid cell mean atmospheric forcing to isolate the impacts of the subgrid topography on the simulated land surface states and fluxes. Recognizing that subgrid topography also has important effects on atmospheric processes that control temperature, radiation, and precipitation, methods are being developed to downscale atmospheric forcings. Hence in the second step, the impacts of the subgrid topographic structure on land surface modeling will be evaluated by including spatial downscaling of the atmospheric forcings. Preliminary results on the atmospheric downscaling and the effects of the new spatial structures on the ALM simulations will be presented.

Planetary Surface-Atmosphere Interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Merrison, J. P.; Bak, E.; Finster, K.; Gunnlaugsson, H. P.; Holstein-Rathlou, C.; Knak Jensen, S.; Nørnberg, P.

2013-09-01

Planetary bodies having an accessible solid surface and significant atmosphere, such as Earth, Mars, Venus, Titan, share common phenomenology. Specifically wind induced transport of surface materials, subsequent erosion, the generation and transport of solid aerosols which leads both to chemical and electrostatic interaction with the atmosphere. How these processes affect the evolution of the atmosphere and surface will be discussed in the context of general planetology and the latest laboratory studies will be presented.

Martian Surface and Atmosphere Workshop

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schuraytz, Benjamin C.

The NASA-sponsored Martian Surface and Atmosphere Through Time Study Project convened its first major meeting at the University of Colorado in Boulder, September 23-25, 1991. The workshop, co-sponsored by the Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI) and the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado, brought together an international group of 125 scientists to discuss a variety of issues relevant to the goals of the MSATT Program. The workshop program committee included co-convenors Robert Haberle, MSATT Steering Committee Chairman NASA Ames Research Center) and Bruce Jakosky (University of Colorado), and committee members Amos Banin (NASA Ames Research Center and Hebrew University), Benjamin Schuraytz (LPI), and Kenneth Tanaka (U.S. Geological Survey, Flagstaff, Ariz.).The purpose of the workshop was to begin exploring and defining the relationships between different aspects of Mars science—the evolution of the surface, the atmosphere, upper atmosphere, volatiles, and climate. Specific topics addressed in the 88 contributed abstracts included the current nature of the surface with respect to physical properties and photometric observations and interpretations; the history of geological processes, comprising water and ice-related geomorphology, impact cratering, and volcanism; and the geochemistry and mineralogy of the surface with emphasis on compositional and spectroscopic studies and weathering processes. Also addressed were the present atmosphere, focusing on structure and dynamics, volatile and dust distribution, and the upper atmosphere; long-term volatile evolution based on volatiles in SNC meteorites (certain meteorites thought to have come from Mars) and atmospheric evolution processes; climate history and volatile cycles in relation to early climate and the polar caps, ground ice, and regolith; and future mission concepts.

An Introduction to Atmospheric Physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andrews, David G.

2000-09-01

This advanced undergraduate textbook clearly details how physics can be used to understand many important aspects of atmospheric behavior. Coverage presents a broad overview of atmospheric physics, including atmospheric thermodynamics, radiative transfer, atmospheric fluid dynamics and elementary atmospheric chemistry. Armed with an understanding of these topics, the interested student will be able to grasp the essential physics behind issues of current concern, such as the enhanced greenhouse effect and associated questions of climate change, the Antarctic ozone hole and global ozone depletion, as well as more familiar processes such as the formation of raindrops and the development of weather systems. This introductory textbook is ideal for advanced undergraduates studying atmospheric physics as part of physics, meteorology or environmental science courses. It will also be useful for graduate students studying atmospheric physics for the first time and for students of applied mathematics, physical chemistry and engineering who have an interest in the atmosphere.

Atmospheric Gravity Waves and Turbulent Processes in the Mesopause Region Based on PMSE MAARSY Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gudadze, N.; Chau, J. L.; Stober, G.; Latteck, R.

2016-12-01

Mesosphere-lower-thermosphere (MLT) polar dynamics are interesting and important subject for study in atmospheric physic. It is considered that mesopause region is where the main part of the Atmospheric gravity waves breaks and/or dissipates. However this region is difficult to observe. Continuous Observations of the polar summer mesosphere with the Middle Atmosphere Alomar Radar System (MAARSY) and its predecessor the ALOMAR-Wind-Radar (ALWIN) (before 2010), have been used to investigate dynamical structures of well-known phenomenon - Polar Mesosphere Summer Echoes (PMSE) which is an important tracer in the summer polar mesopause region. Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) and Doppler radial velocity from the PMSE are used to investigate the wave-like motions with periods larger than 5 minutes. Such oscillations are studied in terms of atmospheric gravity waves (AGWs). Processes also connected with AGWs as PMSE layering, are studied in connection with the background conditions of the neutral atmosphere as well. Background winds are obtained from collocated meteor radar (MR). We used local enhancement method for the processing of altitude-time SNR images to detect layers in the PMSEs and characterised them. Our preliminary results indicate that PMSE strength and behaviour is correlated with the meridional wind. Furthermore we found that the spectral width (SW), which is a proxy of turbulence, is most of the time weakly dependent on SNR strength. However, there are some events where SW is highly dependent on SNR intensity indicating that they could be associated to turbulent-dominated events.

Methods of InSAR atmosphere correction for volcano activity monitoring

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gong, W.; Meyer, F.; Webley, P.W.; Lu, Z.

2011-01-01

When a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) signal propagates through the atmosphere on its path to and from the sensor, it is inevitably affected by atmospheric effects. In particular, the applicability and accuracy of Interferometric SAR (InSAR) techniques for volcano monitoring is limited by atmospheric path delays. Therefore, atmospheric correction of interferograms is required to improve the performance of InSAR for detecting volcanic activity, especially in order to advance its ability to detect subtle pre-eruptive changes in deformation dynamics. In this paper, we focus on InSAR tropospheric mitigation methods and their performance in volcano deformation monitoring. Our study areas include Okmok volcano and Unimak Island located in the eastern Aleutians, AK. We explore two methods to mitigate atmospheric artifacts, namely the numerical weather model simulation and the atmospheric filtering using Persistent Scatterer processing. We investigate the capability of the proposed methods, and investigate their limitations and advantages when applied to determine volcanic processes. ?? 2011 IEEE.

Nonlinear dynamics of global atmospheric and Earth system processes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Saltzman, Barry

1993-01-01

During the past eight years, we have been engaged in a NASA-supported program of research aimed at establishing the connection between satellite signatures of the earth's environmental state and the nonlinear dynamics of the global weather and climate system. Thirty-five publications and four theses have resulted from this work, which included contributions in five main areas of study: (1) cloud and latent heat processes in finite-amplitude baroclinic waves; (2) application of satellite radiation data in global weather analysis; (3) studies of planetary waves and low-frequency weather variability; (4) GCM studies of the atmospheric response to variable boundary conditions measurable from satellites; and (5) dynamics of long-term earth system changes. Significant accomplishments from the three main lines of investigation pursued during the past year are presented and include the following: (1) planetary atmospheric waves and low frequency variability; (2) GCM studies of the atmospheric response to changed boundary conditions; and (3) dynamics of long-term changes in the global earth system.

Heterogeneous atmospheric chemistry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schryer, D. R.

1982-01-01

The present conference on heterogeneous atmospheric chemistry considers such topics concerning clusters, particles and microparticles as common problems in nucleation and growth, chemical kinetics, and catalysis, chemical reactions with aerosols, electron beam studies of natural and anthropogenic microparticles, and structural studies employing molecular beam techniques, as well as such gas-solid interaction topics as photoassisted reactions, catalyzed photolysis, and heterogeneous catalysis. Also discussed are sulfur dioxide absorption, oxidation, and oxidation inhibition in falling drops, sulfur dioxide/water equilibria, the evidence for heterogeneous catalysis in the atmosphere, the importance of heterogeneous processes to tropospheric chemistry, soot-catalyzed atmospheric reactions, and the concentrations and mechanisms of formation of sulfate in the atmospheric boundary layer.

Chemistry and spectroscopy of the Jovian atmosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Prinn, R. G.; Owen, T.

1976-01-01

A comprehensive review is given of the chemistry and spectroscopic studies of the Jovian atmosphere. Thermochemical equilibrium models for determining atmospheric composition are considered along with possible disequilibrating processes, and studies of the photochemistry of H2, CH4, NH3, H2S, and PH3 using the modeling methods are summarized. It is shown that photodissociation and advection are the major disequilibrating processes in Jupiter's atmosphere, that lightning and charged-particle bombardment are relatively minor factors in the planet's bulk chemistry, and that the existence of living organisms on the planet is highly improbable. Spectroscopic investigations of Jupiter are discussed, emphasizing recent observations of absorption bands due to CH4, NH3, H2, He, and D. Spectroscopic abundance determinations are examined for H2, HD, CH4, CH3D, NH3, C2H6, C2H2, and PH3. Upper limits are given for the abundances of several unobserved gases in the visible atmosphere, including H2S, HCl, SiH4, benzene, purines, pyrimidines, and their derivatives.

Selective Oxidation and Reactive Wetting During Hot-Dip Galvanizing of a 1.0 pct Al-0.5 pct Si TRIP-Assisted Steel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bellhouse, E. M.; McDermid, J. R.

2012-07-01

Selective oxidation and reactive wetting during continuous galvanizing were studied for a low-alloy transformation induced plasticity (TRIP)-assisted steel with 0.2 pct C, 1.5 pct Mn, 1.0 pct Al and 0.5 pct Si. Three process atmospheres were tested during annealing prior to galvanizing: 220 K (-53 °C) dew point (dp) N2-20 pct H2, 243 K (-30 °C) dp N2-5 pct H2 and 278 K (+5 °C) dp N2-5 pct H2. The process atmosphere oxygen partial pressure affected the oxide chemistry, morphology and thickness. For the 220 K (-53 °C) dp and 243 K (-30 °C) dp process atmospheres, film and nodule-type manganese, silicon and aluminum containing oxides were observed at the surface. For the 278 K (+5 °C) dp atmosphere, MnO was observed at the grain boundaries and as thicker localized surface films. Oxide morphology, thickness and chemistry affected reactive wetting, with complete wetting being observed for the 220 K (-53 °C) dp and 243 K (-30 °C) dp process atmospheres and incomplete reactive wetting being observed for the 278 K (+5 °C) dp atmosphere. Complete reactive wetting for the 220 K (-53 °C) dp and 243 K (-30 °C) dp process atmospheres was attributed to a combination of zinc bridging of oxides, aluminothermic reduction of surface oxides and wetting of the oxides. Incomplete wetting for the 278 K (+5 °C) dp atmosphere was attributed to localized thick MnO films.

Data Processing for Atmospheric Phase Interferometers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Acosta, Roberto J.; Nessel, James A.; Morabito, David D.

2009-01-01

This paper presents a detailed discussion of calibration procedures used to analyze data recorded from a two-element atmospheric phase interferometer (API) deployed at Goldstone, California. In addition, we describe the data products derived from those measurements that can be used for site intercomparison and atmospheric modeling. Simulated data is used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm and as a means for validating our procedure. A study of the effect of block size filtering is presented to justify our process for isolating atmospheric fluctuation phenomena from other system-induced effects (e.g., satellite motion, thermal drift). A simulated 24 hr interferometer phase data time series is analyzed to illustrate the step-by-step calibration procedure and desired data products.

Processes Affecting the Annual Surface Energy Budget at High-Latitude Terrestrial Sites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Persson, P. O. G.; Stone, R. S.; Grachev, A.; Matrosova, L.

2012-04-01

Instrumentation at four Study of Environmental Arctic Change (SEARCH) sites (Barrow, Eureka, Alert, and Tiksi) have been enhanced in the past 6 years, including during the 2007-2008 IPY. Data from these sites are used to investigate the annual cycle of the surface energy budget (SEB), its coupling to atmospheric processes, and for Alert, its interannual variability. The comprehensive data sets are useful for showing interactions between the atmosphere, surface, and soil at high temporal resolution throughout the annual cycle. Processes that govern the SEB variability at each site are identified, and their impacts on the SEB are quantified. For example, mesoscale modulation of the SEB caused by forcing from the local terrain (downslope wind events) and coastlines (sea and land breezes) are significant at Alert and Eureka, with these processes affecting both radiative, turbulent, and ground heat flux terms in the SEB. Sub-seasonal and interannual variations in atmospheric processes and SEB impact soil thermal structures, such as the depth and timing of the summer active layer. These analyses provide an improved understanding of the processes producing changes in surface and soil temperature, linking them through the SEB as affected by atmospheric processes.

Determination and impact of surface radiative processes for TOGA COARE

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Curry, Judith A.; Ackerman, Thomas; Rossow, William B.; Webster, Peter J.

1991-01-01

Experiments using atmospheric general circulation models have shown that the atmospheric circulation is very sensitive to small changes in sea surface temperature in the tropical western Pacific Ocean warm pool region. The mutual sensitivity of the ocean and the atmosphere in the warm pool region places stringent requirements on models of the coupled ocean atmosphere system. At present, the situation is such that diagnostic studies using available data sets have been unable to balance the surface energy budget in the warm pool region to better than 50 to 80 W/sq m. The Tropical Ocean Global Atmosphere (TOGA) Coupled Ocean Atmosphere Response Experiment (COARE) is an observation and modelling program that aims specifically at the elucidation of the physical process which determine the mean and transient state of the warm pool region and the manner in which the warm pool interacts with the global ocean and atmosphere. This project focuses on one very important aspect of the ocean atmosphere interface component of TOGA COARE, namely the temporal and spatial variability of surface radiative fluxes in the warm pool region.

Development of an experimental approach to study coupled soil-plant-atmosphere processes using plant analogs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trautz, Andrew C.; Illangasekare, Tissa H.; Rodriguez-Iturbe, Ignacio; Heck, Katharina; Helmig, Rainer

2017-04-01

The atmosphere, soils, and vegetation near the land-atmosphere interface are in a state of continuous dynamic interaction via a myriad of complex interrelated feedback processes which collectively, remain poorly understood. Studying the fundamental nature and dynamics of such processes in atmospheric, ecological, and/or hydrological contexts in the field setting presents many challenges; current experimental approaches are an important factor given a general lack of control and high measurement uncertainty. In an effort to address these issues and reduce overall complexity, new experimental design considerations (two-dimensional intermediate-scale coupled wind tunnel-synthetic aquifer testing using synthetic plants) for studying soil-plant-atmosphere continuum soil moisture dynamics are introduced and tested in this study. Validation of these experimental considerations, particularly the adoption of synthetic plants, is required prior to their application in future research. A comparison of three experiments with bare soil surfaces or transplanted with a Stargazer lily/limestone block was used to evaluate the feasibility of the proposed approaches. Results demonstrate that coupled wind tunnel-porous media experimentation, used to simulate field conditions, reduces complexity, and enhances control while allowing fine spatial-temporal resolution measurements to be made using state-of-the-art technologies. Synthetic plants further help reduce system complexity (e.g., airflow) while preserving the basic hydrodynamic functions of plants (e.g., water uptake and transpiration). The trends and distributions of key measured atmospheric and subsurface spatial and temporal variables (e.g., soil moisture, relative humidity, temperature, air velocity) were comparable, showing that synthetic plants can be used as simple, idealized, nonbiological analogs for living vegetation in fundamental hydrodynamic studies.

Carbon Disulfide (CS2) Interference in Glucose Metabolism from Unconventional Oil and Gas Extraction and Processing Emissions.

PubMed

Rich, Alisa L; Patel, Jay T; Al-Angari, Samiah S

2016-01-01

Carbon disulfide (CS2) has been historically associated with the manufacturing of rayon, cellophane, and carbon tetrachloride production. This study is one of the first to identify elevated atmospheric levels of CS2 above national background levels and its mechanisms to dysregulate normal glucose metabolism. Interference in glucose metabolism can indirectly cause other complications (diabetes, neurodegenerative disease, and retinopathy), which may be preventable if proper precautions are taken. Rich et al found CS2 and 12 associated sulfide compounds present in the atmosphere in residential areas where unconventional shale oil and gas extraction and processing operations were occurring. Ambient atmospheric concentrations of CS2 ranged from 0.7 parts per billion by volume (ppbv) to 103 ppbv over a continuous 24-hour monitoring period. One-hour ambient atmospheric concentrations ranged from 3.4 ppbv to 504.6 ppbv. Using the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Urban Air Toxic Monitoring Program study as a baseline comparison for atmospheric CS2 concentrations found in this study, it was determined that CS2 atmospheric levels were consistently elevated in areas where unconventional oil and gas extraction and processing occurred. The mechanisms by which CS2 interferes in normal glucose metabolism by dysregulation of the tryptophan metabolism pathway are presented in this study. The literature review found an increased potential for alteration of normal glucose metabolism in viscose rayon occupational workers exposed to CS2. Occupational workers in the energy extraction industry exposed to CS2 and other sulfide compounds may have an increased potential for glucose metabolism interference, which has been an indicator for diabetogenic effect and other related health impacts. The recommendation of this study is for implementation of regular monitoring of blood glucose levels in CS2-exposed populations as a preventative health measure.

Investigation of chemical properties and transport phenomena associated with pollutants in the atmospheric boundary layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holmes, Heather A.

Under the Clean Air Act, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is required to determine which air pollutants are harmful to human health, then regulate, monitor and establish criteria levels for these pollutants. To accomplish this and for scientific advancement, integration of knowledge from several disciplines is required including: engineering, atmospheric science, chemistry and public health. Recently, a shift has been made to establish interdisciplinary research groups to better understand the atmospheric processes that govern the transport of pollutants and chemical reactions of species in the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL). The primary reason for interdisciplinary collaboration is the need for atmospheric processes to be treated as a coupled system, and to design experiments that measure meteorological, chemical and physical variables simultaneously so forecasting models can be improved (i.e., meteorological and chemical process models). This dissertation focuses on integrating research disciplines to provide a more complete framework to study pollutants in the ABL. For example, chemical characterization of particulate matter (PM) and the physical processes governing PM distribution and mixing are combined to provide more comprehensive data for source apportionment. Data from three field experiments were utilized to study turbulence, meteorological and chemical parameters in the ABL. Two air quality field studies were conducted on the U.S./Mexico border. The first was located in Yuma, AZ to investigate the spatial and temporal variability of PM in an urban environment and relate chemical properties of ambient aerosols to physical findings. The second border air quality study was conducted in Nogales, Sonora, Mexico to investigate the relationship between indoor and outdoor air quality in order to better correlate cooking fuel types and home activities to elevated indoor PM concentrations. The final study was executed in southern Idaho and focused on comparing two gaseous dry deposition models to determine the fluxes of gaseous elemental mercury and reactive gaseous mercury using the measured concentrations and calculated deposition velocities for each species. Results indicate a large dependence on coupled physical, chemical and biological interactions for atmospheric processes, signifying the need for interdisciplinary collaboration.

THE SCIENTIFIC BASIS OF NOAA'S AIR QUALITY FORECASTING PROGRAM

EPA Science Inventory

For many years, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has conducted atmospheric research, including chemical and physical measurements, process studies, and the development and evaluation of experimental meteorological and photochemical air quality models. ...

Flow Tube Studies of Gas Phase Chemical Processes of Atmospheric Importance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Molina, Mario J.

1997-01-01

The objective of this project is to conduct measurements of elementary reaction rate constants and photochemistry parameters for processes of importance in the atmosphere. These measurements are being carried out under temperature and pressure conditions covering those applicable to the stratosphere and upper troposphere, using the chemical ionization mass spectrometry turbulent flow technique developed in our laboratory.

Do airborne microbes matter for atmospheric chemistry and cloud formation?

PubMed

Konstantinidis, Konstantinos T

2014-06-01

The role of airborne microbial cells in the chemistry of the atmosphere and cloud formation remains essentially speculative. Recent studies have indicated that microbes might be more important than previously anticipated for atmospheric processes. However, more work and direct communication between microbiologists and atmospheric scientists and modellers are necessary to better understand and model bioaerosol-cloud-precipitation-climate interactions. © 2014 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Visualizing a Solar Storm's Effect on Mars Atmosphere (Illustration)

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-13

This illustration depicts charged particles from a solar storm stripping away charged particles of Mars' atmosphere, one of the processes of Martian atmosphere loss studied by NASA's MAVEN mission, beginning in 2014. Unlike Earth, Mars lacks a global magnetic field that could deflect charged particles emanating from the Sun. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22076

Gas-analytic measurement complexes of Baikal atmospheric-limnological observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pestunov, D. A.; Shamrin, A. M.; Shmargunov, V. P.; Panchenko, M. V.

2015-11-01

The paper presents the present-day structure of stationary and mobile hardware-software gas-analytical complexes of Baikal atmospheric-limnological observatory (BALO) Siberian Branch Russian Academy of Sciences (SB RAS), designed to study the processes of gas exchange of carbon-containing gases in the "atmosphere-water" system, which are constantly updated to include new measuring and auxiliary instrumentation.

Hera - an ESA M-class Saturn Entry Probe Mission Proposal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Atkinson, D. H.; Mousis, O.; Spilker, T. R.; Venkatapathy, E.; Poncy, J.; Coustenis, A.; Reh, K. R.

2015-12-01

A fundamental goal of solar system exploration is to understand the origin of the solar system, the initial stages, conditions, and processes by which the solar system formed, how the formation process was initiated, and the nature of the interstellar seed material from which the solar system was born. Key to understanding solar system formation and subsequent dynamical and chemical evolution is the origin and evolution of the giant planets and their atmospheres. Additionally, the atmospheres of the giant planets serve as laboratories to better understand the atmospheric chemistries, dynamics, processes, and climates on all planets in the solar system including Earth, offer a context and provide a ground truth for exoplanets and exoplanetary systems, and have long been thought to play a critical role in the development of potentially habitable planetary systems. Remote sensing observations are limited when used to study the bulk atmospheric composition of the giant planets of our solar system. A remarkable example of the value of in situ measurements is provided by measurements of Jupiter's noble gas abundances and helium mixing ratio by the Galileo probe. In situ measurements provide direct access to atmospheric regions that are beyond the reach of remote sensing, enabling the dynamical, chemical and aerosol-forming processes at work from the thermosphere to the troposphere below the cloud decks to be studied. Studies for a newly proposed Saturn atmospheric entry probe mission named Hera is being prepared for the upcoming European Space Agency Medium Class (M5) mission announcement of opportunity. A solar powered mission, Hera will take approximately 8 years to reach Saturn and will carry instruments to measure the composition, structure, and dynamics of Saturn's atmosphere. In the context of giant planet science provided by the Galileo, Juno, and Cassini missions to Jupiter and Saturn, the Hera Saturn probe will provide critical measurements of composition, structure, and processes that are not accessible by remote sensing. The results of Hera will help test competing theories of solar system and giant planet origin, chemical, and dynamical evolution.

Photochemistry of Pluto's Atmosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Krasnopolsky, Vladimir A.

1999-01-01

This work include studies of two problems: (1) Modeling thermal balance, structure. and escape processes in Pluto's upper atmosphere. This study has been completed in full. A new method, of analytic solution for the equation of hydrodynamic flow from in atmosphere been developed. It was found that the ultraviolet absorption by methane which was previously ignored is even more important in Pluto's thermal balance than the extreme ultraviolet absorption by nitrogen. Two basic models of the lower atmosphere have been suggested, with a tropopause and a planetary surface at the bottom of the stellar occultation lightcurve, respectively, Vertical profiles, of temperature, density, gas velocity, and the CH4 mixing ratio have been calculated for these two models at low, mean, and high solar activity (six models). We prove that Pluto' " s atmosphere is restricted to 3060-4500 km, which makes possible a close flyby of future spacecraft. Implication for Pluto's evolution have also been discussed. and (2) Modeling of Pluto's photochemistry. Based on the results of (1), we have made some changes in the basic continuity equation and in the boundary conditions which reflect a unique can of hydrodynamic escape and therefore have not been used in modeling of other planetary atmospheres. We model photochemistry of 44 neutral and 23 ion species. This work required solution of a set of 67 second-order nonlinear ordinary differential equations. Two models have been developed. Each model consists of the vertical profiles for 67 species, their escape and precipitation rates. These models predict the chemical structure and basic chemical processes in the current atmosphere and possible implication of these processes for evolution. This study has also been completed in full.

Contributions of Nimbus 7 TOMS Data to Volcanic Study and Hazard Mitigation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Krueger, Arlin J.; Bluth, G. J. S.; Schaefer, S. A.

1998-01-01

Nimbus TOMS data have led to advancements among many volcano-related scientific disciplines, from the initial ability to quantify SO2 clouds leading to derivations of eruptive S budgets and fluxes, to tracking of individual clouds, assessing global volcanism and atmospheric impacts. Some of the major aspects of TOMS-related research, listed below, will be reviewed and updated: (1) Measurement of volcanic SO2 clouds: Nimbus TOMS observed over 100 individual SO2 clouds during its mission lifetime; large explosive eruptions are now routinely and reliably measured by satellite. (2) Eruption processes: quantification of SO2 emissions have allowed assessments of eruption sulfur budgets, the evaluation of "excess" sulfur, and inferences of H2S emissions. (3) Detection of ash: TOMS data are now used to detect volcanic particulates in the atmosphere, providing complementary analyses to infrared methods of detection. Paired TOMS and AVHRR studies have provided invaluable information on volcanic cloud compositions and processes. (4) Cloud tracking and hazard mitigation: volcanic clouds can be considered gigantic tracers in the atmosphere, and studies of the fates of these clouds have led to new knowledge of their physical and chemical dispersion in the atmosphere for predictive models. (5) Global trends: the long term data set has provided researchers an unparalleled record of explosive volcanism, and forms a key component in assessing annual to decadal trends in global S emissions. (6) Atmospheric impacts: TOMS data have been linked to independent records of atmospheric change, in order to compare cause and effect processes following a massive injection of SO2 into the atmosphere. (7) Future TOMS instruments and applications: Nimbus TOMS has given way to new satellite platforms, with several wavelength and resolution modifications. New efforts to launch a geostationary TOMS could provide unprecedented observations of volcanic activity.

Southeast Atmosphere Studies: learning from model-observation syntheses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mao, Jingqiu; Carlton, Annmarie; Cohen, Ronald C.; Brune, William H.; Brown, Steven S.; Wolfe, Glenn M.; Jimenez, Jose L.; Pye, Havala O. T.; Ng, Nga Lee; Xu, Lu; McNeill, V. Faye; Tsigaridis, Kostas; McDonald, Brian C.; Warneke, Carsten; Guenther, Alex; Alvarado, Matthew J.; de Gouw, Joost; Mickley, Loretta J.; Leibensperger, Eric M.; Mathur, Rohit; Nolte, Christopher G.; Portmann, Robert W.; Unger, Nadine; Tosca, Mika; Horowitz, Larry W.

2018-02-01

Concentrations of atmospheric trace species in the United States have changed dramatically over the past several decades in response to pollution control strategies, shifts in domestic energy policy and economics, and economic development (and resulting emission changes) elsewhere in the world. Reliable projections of the future atmosphere require models to not only accurately describe current atmospheric concentrations, but to do so by representing chemical, physical and biological processes with conceptual and quantitative fidelity. Only through incorporation of the processes controlling emissions and chemical mechanisms that represent the key transformations among reactive molecules can models reliably project the impacts of future policy, energy and climate scenarios. Efforts to properly identify and implement the fundamental and controlling mechanisms in atmospheric models benefit from intensive observation periods, during which collocated measurements of diverse, speciated chemicals in both the gas and condensed phases are obtained. The Southeast Atmosphere Studies (SAS, including SENEX, SOAS, NOMADSS and SEAC4RS) conducted during the summer of 2013 provided an unprecedented opportunity for the atmospheric modeling community to come together to evaluate, diagnose and improve the representation of fundamental climate and air quality processes in models of varying temporal and spatial scales.This paper is aimed at discussing progress in evaluating, diagnosing and improving air quality and climate modeling using comparisons to SAS observations as a guide to thinking about improvements to mechanisms and parameterizations in models. The effort focused primarily on model representation of fundamental atmospheric processes that are essential to the formation of ozone, secondary organic aerosol (SOA) and other trace species in the troposphere, with the ultimate goal of understanding the radiative impacts of these species in the southeast and elsewhere. Here we address questions surrounding four key themes: gas-phase chemistry, aerosol chemistry, regional climate and chemistry interactions, and natural and anthropogenic emissions. We expect this review to serve as a guidance for future modeling efforts.

Southeast Atmosphere Studies: learning from model-observation syntheses

PubMed Central

Mao, Jingqiu; Carlton, Annmarie; Cohen, Ronald C.; Brune, William H.; Brown, Steven S.; Wolfe, Glenn M.; Jimenez, Jose L.; Pye, Havala O. T.; Ng, Nga Lee; Xu, Lu; McNeill, V. Faye; Tsigaridis, Kostas; McDonald, Brian C.; Warneke, Carsten; Guenther, Alex; Alvarado, Matthew J.; de Gouw, Joost; Mickley, Loretta J.; Leibensperger, Eric M.; Mathur, Rohit; Nolte, Christopher G.; Portmann, Robert W.; Unger, Nadine; Tosca, Mika; Horowitz, Larry W.

2018-01-01

Concentrations of atmospheric trace species in the United States have changed dramatically over the past several decades in response to pollution control strategies, shifts in domestic energy policy and economics, and economic development (and resulting emission changes) elsewhere in the world. Reliable projections of the future atmosphere require models to not only accurately describe current atmospheric concentrations, but to do so by representing chemical, physical and biological processes with conceptual and quantitative fidelity. Only through incorporation of the processes controlling emissions and chemical mechanisms that represent the key transformations among reactive molecules can models reliably project the impacts of future policy, energy and climate scenarios. Efforts to properly identify and implement the fundamental and controlling mechanisms in atmospheric models benefit from intensive observation periods, during which collocated measurements of diverse, speciated chemicals in both the gas and condensed phases are obtained. The Southeast Atmosphere Studies (SAS, including SENEX, SOAS, NOMADSS and SEAC4RS) conducted during the summer of 2013 provided an unprecedented opportunity for the atmospheric modeling community to come together to evaluate, diagnose and improve the representation of fundamental climate and air quality processes in models of varying temporal and spatial scales. This paper is aimed at discussing progress in evaluating, diagnosing and improving air quality and climate modeling using comparisons to SAS observations as a guide to thinking about improvements to mechanisms and parameterizations in models. The effort focused primarily on model representation of fundamental atmospheric processes that are essential to the formation of ozone, secondary organic aerosol (SOA) and other trace species in the troposphere, with the ultimate goal of understanding the radiative impacts of these species in the southeast and elsewhere. Here we address questions surrounding four key themes: gas-phase chemistry, aerosol chemistry, regional climate and chemistry interactions, and natural and anthropogenic emissions. We expect this review to serve as a guidance for future modeling efforts.

Southeast Atmosphere Studies: Learning from Model-Observation Syntheses

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mao, Jingqiu; Carlton, Annmarie; Cohen, Ronald C.; Brune, William H.; Brown, Steven S.; Wolfe, Glenn M.; Jimenez, Jose L.; Pye, Havala O. T.; Ng, Nga Lee; Xu, Lu;

Atmospheric Processing and Iron Mobilization of Ilmenite: Iron-Containing Ternary Oxide in Mineral Dust Aerosol.

PubMed

Hettiarachchi, Eshani; Hurab, Omar; Rubasinghege, Gayan

2018-02-08

Over the last several decades, iron has been identified as a limiting nutrient in about half of the world's oceans. Its most significant source is identified as deposited iron-containing mineral dust that has been processed during atmospheric transportation. The current work focuses on chemical and photochemical processing of iron-containing mineral dust particles in the presence of nitric acid, and an organic pollutant dimethyl sulfide under atmospherically relevant conditions. More importantly, ilmenite (FeTiO 3 ) is evaluated as a proxy for the iron-containing mineral dust. The presence of titanium in its lattice structure provides higher complexity to mimic mineral dust, yet it is simple enough to study reaction pathways and mechanisms. Here, spectroscopic methods are combined with dissolution measurements to investigate atmospheric processing of iron in mineral dust, with specific focus on particle mineralogy, particle size, and their environmental conditions (i.e., pH and solar flux). Our results indicate that the presence of titanium elemental composition enhances iron dissolution from mineral dust, at least by 2-fold comparison with its nontitanium-containing counterparts. The extent of iron dissolution and speciation is further influenced by the above factors. Thus, our work highlights these important, yet unconsidered, factors in the atmospheric processing of iron-containing mineral dust aerosol.

Overall quality and shelf life of minimally processed and modified atmosphere packaged 'ready-to-eat' pomegranate arils.

PubMed

Ayhan, Zehra; Eştürk, Okan

2009-06-01

Minimally processed ready-to-eat pomegranate arils have become popular due to their convenience, high value, unique sensory characteristics, and health benefits. The objective of this study was to monitor quality parameters and to extend the shelf life of ready-to-eat pomegranate arils packaged with modified atmospheres. Minimally processed pomegranate arils were packed in PP trays sealed with BOPP film under 4 atmospheres including low and super atmospheric oxygen. Packaged arils were stored at 5 degrees C for 18 d and monitored for internal atmosphere and quality attributes. Atmosphere equilibrium was reached for all MAP applications except for high oxygen. As a general trend, slight or no significant change was detected in chemical and physical attributes of pomegranate arils during cold storage. The aerobic mesophilic bacteria were in the range of 2.30 to 4.51 log CFU/g at the end of the storage, which did not affect the sensory quality. Overall, the pomegranate arils packed with air, nitrogen, and enriched oxygen kept quality attributes and were acceptable to sensory panelists on day 18; however, marketability period was limited to 15 d for the low oxygen atmosphere. PP trays sealed with BOPP film combined with either passive or active modified atmospheres and storage at 5 degrees C provided commercially acceptable arils for 18 d with high quality and convenience.

Modelling atmospheric transport of α-hexachlorocyclohexane in the Northern Hemispherewith a 3-D dynamical model: DEHM-POP

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hansen, K. M.; Christensen, J. H.; Brandt, J.; Frohn, L. M.; Geels, C.

2004-07-01

The Danish Eulerian Hemispheric Model (DEHM) is a 3-D dynamical atmospheric transport model originally developed to describe the atmospheric transport of sulphur into the Arctic. A new version of the model, DEHM-POP, developed to study the atmospheric transport and environmental fate of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) is presented. During environmental cycling, POPs can be deposited and re-emitted several times before reaching a final destination. A description of the exchange processes between the land/ocean surfaces and the atmosphere is included in the model to account for this multi-hop transport. The α-isomer of the pesticide hexachlorocyclohexane (α-HCH) is used as tracer in the model development. The structure of the model and processes included are described in detail. The results from a model simulation showing the atmospheric transport for the years 1991 to 1998 are presented and evaluated against measurements. The annual averaged atmospheric concentration of α-HCH for the 1990s is well described by the model; however, the shorter-term average concentration for most of the stations is not well captured. This indicates that the present simple surface description needs to be refined to get a better description of the air-surface exchange processes of POPs.

Characterising exoplanet atmospheres as part of the LRG-BEASTS survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kirk, James; Wheatley, Peter; LRG-BEASTS Collaboration

2018-01-01

I will present the latest results from the Low Resolution Ground-Based Exoplanet Atmosphere Survey using Transmission Spectroscopy (LRG-BEASTS, ‘large beasts’). This programme has demonstrated the capabilities of 4-metre class telescopes to produce transmission spectra with precision comparable to HST and 8- and 10-metre class telescopes. LRG-BEASTS has so far revealed a Rayleigh scattering haze in the atmosphere of HAT-P-18b, clouds in the atmosphere of WASP-52b, and ruled out a previously claimed detection of potassium in the atmosphere of WASP-80b. Studies of hot Jupiter atmospheres have revealed a startling diversity between systems, with many showing thick clouds and hazes which mask pressure-broadened absorption features. In the small sample of studied planets to date, no strong correlation has emerged between key planetary parameters and the presence, or absence, of clouds and hazes, although there has been a suggestion that temperature might play a role. In order to characterise this diversity and unravel the underlying physical processes, it is essential that we expand the current sample of studied planets. This is the focus of LRG-BEASTS and my dissertation. Clouds and hazes are not just prominent in giant planet atmospheres but also in the handful of smaller planets characterised in transmission. The knowledge and expertise we will gain from the study of giant planets with surveys such as LRG-BEASTS will inform our understanding of analogous processes in the exciting new generation of planets that will be discovered with TESS.

Atmospheric Plasma Blade for Surgical Purposes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oksuz, Lutfi; Yurdabak Karaca, Gozde; Özkaptan, Emir; Uygun, Emre; Uygun Oksuz, Aysegul

2017-10-01

Atmospheric plasma cut is a process at the minimum level due to the ions, radicals and free electrons generated by the active electrode and target tissue. Atmospheric plasma cutting devices provide significant advantages as a non-contact electrocautery system that can operate in isotonic environment. During operations where plasma cutting is applied, bleeding is controlled and the side effects that would create the isotonic environment are eliminated. In this study in vivo and in vitro studies will be carried out by producing and optimizing the atmospheric plasma blade. Once the optimum parameters of the instrument are determined, in vivo studies will be performed and the pathology results will be evaluated.

Interdisciplinary study of atmospheric processes and constituents of the mid-Atlantic coastal region

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kindle, E. C.

1976-01-01

Progress is reported in the following areas: analysis of the air quality of Plymouth Park, Chesapeake, Virginia; background analysis and impact assessment for the proposed expansion of Busch Gardens; application of remote sensing and atmospheric interaction; and biosphere interaction. Plans for further study are included.

MAMS: High resolution atmospheric moisture/surface properties

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jedlovec, Gary J.; Guillory, Anthony R.; Suggs, Ron; Atkinson, Robert J.; Carlson, Grant S.

1991-01-01

Multispectral Atmospheric Mapping Sensor (MAMS) data collected from a number of U2/ER2 aircraft flights were used to investigate atmospheric and surface (land) components of the hydrologic cycle. Algorithms were developed to retrieve surface and atmospheric geophysical parameters which describe the variability of atmospheric moisture, its role in cloud and storm development, and the influence of surface moisture and heat sources on convective activity. Techniques derived with MAMS data are being applied to existing satellite measurements to show their applicability to regional and large process studies and their impact on operational forecasting.

Bio-organic materials in the atmosphere and snow: measurement and characterization.

PubMed

Ariya, P A; Kos, G; Mortazavi, R; Hudson, E D; Kanthasamy, V; Eltouny, N; Sun, J; Wilde, C

2014-01-01

Bio-organic chemicals are ubiquitous in the Earth's atmosphere and at air-snow interfaces, as well as in aerosols and in clouds. It has been known for centuries that airborne biological matter plays various roles in the transmission of disease in humans and in ecosystems. The implication of chemical compounds of biological origins in cloud condensation and in ice nucleation processes has also been studied during the last few decades, and implications have been suggested in the reduction of visibility, in the influence on oxidative potential of the atmosphere and transformation of compounds in the atmosphere, in the formation of haze, change of snow-ice albedo, in agricultural processes, and bio-hazards and bio-terrorism. In this review we critically examine existing observation data on bio-organic compounds in the atmosphere and in snow. We also review both conventional and cutting-edge analytical techniques and methods for measurement and characterisation of bio-organic compounds and specifically for microbial communities, in the atmosphere and snow. We also explore the link between biological compounds and nucleation processes. Due to increased interest in decreasing emissions of carbon-containing compounds, we also briefly review (in an Appendix) methods and techniques that are currently deployed for bio-organic remediation.

Aqueous Processing of Atmospheric Organic Particles in Cloud Water Collected via Aircraft Sampling.

PubMed

Boone, Eric J; Laskin, Alexander; Laskin, Julia; Wirth, Christopher; Shepson, Paul B; Stirm, Brian H; Pratt, Kerri A

2015-07-21

Cloudwater and below-cloud atmospheric particle samples were collected onboard a research aircraft during the Southern Oxidant and Aerosol Study (SOAS) over a forested region of Alabama in June 2013. The organic molecular composition of the samples was studied to gain insights into the aqueous-phase processing of organic compounds within cloud droplets. High resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) with nanospray desorption electrospray ionization (nano-DESI) and direct infusion electrospray ionization (ESI) were utilized to compare the organic composition of the particle and cloudwater samples, respectively. Isoprene and monoterpene-derived organosulfates and oligomers were identified in both the particles and cloudwater, showing the significant influence of biogenic volatile organic compound oxidation above the forested region. While the average O:C ratios of the organic compounds were similar between the atmospheric particle and cloudwater samples, the chemical composition of these samples was quite different. Specifically, hydrolysis of organosulfates and formation of nitrogen-containing compounds were observed for the cloudwater when compared to the atmospheric particle samples, demonstrating that cloud processing changes the composition of organic aerosol.

Aqueous Processing of Atmospheric Organic Particles in Cloud Water Collected via Aircraft Sampling

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Boone, Eric J.; Laskin, Alexander; Laskin, Julia

2015-07-21

Cloud water and below-cloud atmospheric particle samples were collected onboard a research aircraft during the Southern Oxidant and Aerosol Study (SOAS) over a forested region of Alabama in June 2013. The organic molecular composition of the samples was studied to gain insights into the aqueous-phase processing of organic compounds within cloud droplets. High resolution mass spectrometry with nanospray desorption electrospray ionization and direct infusion electrospray ionization were utilized to compare the organic composition of the particle and cloud water samples, respectively. Isoprene and monoterpene-derived organosulfates and oligomers were identified in both the particles and cloud water, showing the significant influencemore » of biogenic volatile organic compound oxidation above the forested region. While the average O:C ratios of the organic compounds were similar between the atmospheric particle and cloud water samples, the chemical composition of these samples was quite different. Specifically, hydrolysis of organosulfates and formation of nitrogen-containing compounds were observed for the cloud water when compared to the atmospheric particle samples, demonstrating that cloud processing changes the composition of organic aerosol.« less

Modelling of plasma processes in cometary and planetary atmospheres

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Campbell, L.; Brunger, M. J.

2013-02-01

Electrons from the Sun, often accelerated by magnetospheric processes, produce low-density plasmas in the upper atmospheres of planets and their satellites. The secondary electrons can produce further ionization, dissociation and excitation, leading to enhancement of chemical reactions and light emission. Similar processes are driven by photoelectrons produced by sunlight in upper atmospheres during daytime. Sunlight and solar electrons drive the same processes in the atmospheres of comets. Thus for both understanding of planetary atmospheres and in predicting emissions for comparison with remote observations it is necessary to simulate the processes that produce upper atmosphere plasmas. In this review, we describe relevant models and their applications and address the importance of electron-impact excitation cross sections, towards gaining a quantitative understanding of the phenomena in question.

Use of statistical study methods for the analysis of the results of the imitation modeling of radiation transfer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alekseenko, M. A.; Gendrina, I. Yu.

2017-11-01

Recently, due to the abundance of various types of observational data in the systems of vision through the atmosphere and the need for their processing, the use of various methods of statistical research in the study of such systems as correlation-regression analysis, dynamic series, variance analysis, etc. is actual. We have attempted to apply elements of correlation-regression analysis for the study and subsequent prediction of the patterns of radiation transfer in these systems same as in the construction of radiation models of the atmosphere. In this paper, we present some results of statistical processing of the results of numerical simulation of the characteristics of vision systems through the atmosphere obtained with the help of a special software package.1

The role of impacting processes in the chemical evolution of the atmosphere of primordial Earth

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mukhin, Lev M.; Gerasimov, M. V.

1991-01-01

The role of impacting processes in the chemical evolution of the atmosphere of primordial Earth is discussed. The following subject areas are covered: (1) Earth's initial atmosphere; (2) continuous degassing; (3) impact processes and the Earth's protoatmosphere; and (4) the evolution of an impact-generated atmosphere.

Radiative transfer in real atmospheres. [the implications for recognition processing of multispectral remote sensing data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Turner, R. E.

1974-01-01

The problem of multiple radiation scattering in an atmosphere characterized by various amounts of aerosol absorption and different particle size distributions was investigated. The visible part of the spectrum was emphasized, including the effect of ozone absorption. An atmosphere bounded by a nonhomogenous, Lambertian surface was also studied, along with the effect of background radiation on target in terms of various atmopheric and geometric conditions. Results of the investigation indicate that comtaminated atmospheres can change the radiation field by a considerable amount, and that the effect of non-uniform surface significantly alters the intrinsic radiation from a target element. The implications of these results for the recognition processing of multispectral remote sensing data is discussed.

Investigation of the daytime lunar atmosphere for lunar synthesis program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hodges, R. R., Jr.

1976-01-01

Synthesis studies of the daytime lunar atmoshere were directed toward improved understanding of fundamental lunar atmospheric dynamics and the relationship of the detectable atmosphere to physical processes of the lunar surface and interior. The primary source of data is the Apollo 17 lunar surface mass spectrometer. The Ar40 is radiogenic and its escape rate from the lunar atmosphere requires release of a significant fraction (about 8%) of the argon produced from the decay of K40 within the moon. Furthermore the process of argon release from the solid moon is time varying and related to seismic activity. Most of the helium on the moon is due to release of implanted solar wind alpha particles from the regolith.

Laboratory Studies of Heterogeneous Chemical Processes of Atmospheric Importance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Molina, Mario J.

2004-01-01

The objective of this study is to conduct measurements of chemical kinetics parameters for heterogeneous reactions of importance in the stratosphere and the troposphere. It involves the elucidation of the mechanism of the interaction of HCl vapor with ice surfaces, which is the first step in the heterogeneous chlorine activation processes, as well as the investigation of the atmospheric oxidation mechanism of soot particles emitted by biomass and fossil fuels. The techniques being employed include turbulent flow-chemical ionization mass spectrometry and optical ellipsometry, among others.

A detailed evaluation of heating processes in the middle atmosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mlynczak, Martin; Solomon, Susan

1994-01-01

A fundamental problem in the study of the terrestrial middle atmosphere is to calculate accurately the local heating due to the absorption of solar radiation. Knowledge of the heat budget is essential to understanding the atmospheric thermal structure, atmospheric motions, atmospheric chemistry, and their coupling. The evaluation of heating rates is complicated (especially above the stratopause) by the fact that the heating is not a simple one-step process. That is, the absorbed solar energy does not all immediately appear as heat. Rather, substantial portions of the incident energy may appear as internal energy of excited photolysis products (e.g., O(1D) or O2(1 delta)) or as chemical potential energy of product species such as atomic oxygen. The ultimate disposition of the internal and chemical energy possessed by the photolysis products determines the efficiency and thus the rate at which the middle atmosphere is heated. In studies of the heat budget, it is also vitally important to consider transport of long lived chemical species such as atomic oxygen above approximately 80 km. In such cases, the chemical potential energy may be transported great distances (horizontally or vertically) before undergoing a reaction to release the heat. Atomic oxygen influences the heating not only by reactions with itself and with O2 but also by reactions with odd-hydrogen species, especially those involving OH (Mlynczak and Solomon, 1991a). Consequently, absorbed solar energy may finally by converted to heat a long time after and at a location far from the original deposition. The purpose of this paper is to examine the solar and chemical heating processes and to present parameterizations for the heating efficiencies readily applicable for use in numerical models and heat budget studies. In the next two sections the processes relevant to the heating efficiencies for ozone and molecular oxygen will be reviewed. In section 4 the processes for the exothermic reactions will be reviewed and parameterizations for the heating efficiencies for both the solar and chemical processes will be presented in Section 5.

DSA process window expansion with novel DSA track hardware

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harumoto, Masahiko; Stokes, Harold; Tanaka, Yuji; Kaneyama, Koji; Pieczulewski, Chalres; Asai, Masaya; Argoud, Maxime; Servin, Isabelle; Chamiot-Maitral, Gaëlle; Claveau, Guillaume; Tiron, Raluca; Cayrefourcq, Ian

2017-03-01

PS-b-PMMA block copolymer is a well-known DSA material, and there are many DSA patterning methods that make effective the use of such 1st generation materials. Consequently, this variety of patterning methods opens a wide array of possibilities for DSA application[1-4]. Last year, during the inaugural International DSA Symposium, researchers and lithographers concurred on common key issues for DSA patterning methods such as: defect density, LWR, placement error, etc. Defect density was specifically expressed as the biggest obstacle for new processes. Coat-Develop track systems contribute to the DSA pattern fabrication and also influence the DSA pattern performances[4]. In this study, defectivity was investigated using an atmosphere-controlled chamber on the SOKUDO DUO track. As an initial step for expanding the DSA process window, fingerprint patterns were used for various atmospheric conditions during DSA self-assembly annealing. In this study, we will demonstrate an improved DSA process window, and then we will discuss the mechanism for this atmospheric effect.

Topics in geophysical fluid dynamics: Atmospheric dynamics, dynamo theory, and climate dynamics

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ghil, M.; Childress, S.

1987-01-01

This text is the first study to apply systematically the successive bifurcations approach to complex time-dependent processes in large scale atmospheric dynamics, geomagnetism, and theoretical climate dynamics. The presentation of recent results on planetary-scale phenomena in the earth's atmosphere, ocean, cryosphere, mantle and core provides an integral account of mathematical theory and methods together with physical phenomena and processes. The authors address a number of problems in rapidly developing areas of geophysics, bringing into closer contact the modern tools of nonlinear mathematics and the novel problems of global change in the environment.

Short-term sea ice forecasts with the RASM-ESRL coupled model: A testbed for improving simulations of ocean-ice-atmosphere interactions in the marginal ice zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Solomon, A.; Cox, C. J.; Hughes, M.; Intrieri, J. M.; Persson, O. P. G.

2015-12-01

The dramatic decrease of Arctic sea-ice has led to a new Arctic sea-ice paradigm and to increased commercial activity in the Arctic Ocean. NOAA's mission to provide accurate and timely sea-ice forecasts, as explicitly outlined in the National Ocean Policy and the U.S. National Strategy for the Arctic Region, needs significant improvement across a range of time scales to improve safety for human activity. Unfortunately, the sea-ice evolution in the new Arctic involves the interaction of numerous physical processes in the atmosphere, ice, and ocean, some of which are not yet understood. These include atmospheric forcing of sea-ice movement through stress and stress deformation; atmospheric forcing of sea-ice melt and formation through energy fluxes; and ocean forcing of the atmosphere through new regions of seasonal heat release. Many of these interactions involve emerging complex processes that first need to be understood and then incorporated into forecast models in order to realize the goal of useful sea-ice forecasting. The underlying hypothesis for this study is that errors in simulations of "fast" atmospheric processes significantly impact the forecast of seasonal sea-ice retreat in summer and its advance in autumn in the marginal ice zone (MIZ). We therefore focus on short-term (0-20 day) ice-floe movement, the freeze-up and melt-back processes in the MIZ, and the role of storms in modulating stress and heat fluxes. This study uses a coupled ocean-atmosphere-seaice forecast model as a testbed to investigate; whether ocean-sea ice-atmosphere coupling improves forecasts on subseasonal time scales, where systematic biases develop due to inadequate parameterizations (focusing on mixed-phase clouds and surface fluxes), how increased atmospheric resolution of synoptic features improves the forecasts, and how initialization of sea ice area and thickness and snow depth impacts the skill of the forecasts. Simulations are validated with measurements at pan-Arctic land sites, satellite data, and recent ocean field campaigns.

Atmospheric rivers in a hierarchy of high resolution global climate models: results from the UPSCALE simulation campaign

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Demory, Marie-Estelle; Vidale, Pier-Luigi; Schiemann, Reinhard; Roberts, Malcolm; Mizielinski, Matthew

2014-05-01

A traceable hierarchy of global climate models (based on the Met Office Unified Model, GA3 formulation), with mesh sizes ranging from 130km to 25km, has been developed in order to study the impact of improved representation of small-scale processes on the mean climate, its variability and extremes. Five-member ensembles of atmosphere-only integrations were completed at these resolutions, each 27 years in length, using both present day forcing and a future climate scenario. These integrations, collectively known as the "UPSCALE campaign", were completed using time provided by the European PrACE project on supercomputer HERMIT (HLRS Stuttgart). A wide variety of processes are being studied to assess these integrations, in particular with regards to the role of resolution. It has been shown that the relatively coarse resolution of atmospheric general circulation models (AGCMs) limits their ability to represent moisture transport from ocean to land. Understanding of the processes underlying this observed improvement with higher resolution remains insufficient. Atmospheric Rivers (ARs) are an important process of moisture transport onto land in mid-latitude eddies and have been shown by Lavers et al. (2012) to be involved in creating the moisture supply that sustains extreme precipitation events. We investigated the ability of a state-of-the art climate model to represent the location, frequency and 3D structure of atmospheric rivers affecting Western Europe, with a focus on the UK. We show that the climatology of atmospheric rivers, in particular frequency, is underrepresented in the GCM at standard resolution and that this is slightly improved at high resolution (25km): our results are in better agreement with reanalysis data, even if sizable biases remain. The three-dimensional structure of the atmospheric rivers is also more credibly represented at high-resolution. Some aspects of the relationship between the improved simulation in current climate conditions, and how this impacts on changes in the future climate, with much larger atmospheric moisture availability, will also be discussed. In particular, we aim to quantify the relative roles of atmospheric transport and increased precipitation rates in the higher quantiles.

Global Scale Atmospheric Processes Research Program Review

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Worley, B. A. (Editor); Peslen, C. A. (Editor)

1984-01-01

Global modeling; satellite data assimilation and initialization; simulation of future observing systems; model and observed energetics; dynamics of planetary waves; First Global Atmospheric Research Program Global Experiment (FGGE) diagnosis studies; and National Research Council Research Associateship Program are discussed.

Volatiles on Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jakosky, Bruce M.

1988-08-01

The long-term evolution of both the atmosphere and the surface of Mars can be understood by examining the history of volatiles in the Mars atmosphere, their non-atmospheric reservoirs, and the processes of exchange between the two. Clearly, the present state of both the surface and the atmosphere can only be seen, so that any inferences about the evolution of the climate system are just that, inferences. The processes which control the atmosphere and surface on a seasonal basis, however, are the same processes which can act on longer timescales; only the specific solar and atmospheric forcing will differ. Once the ability of each process to affect the seasonal behavior is understood, the long-timescale forcing may be applied to the various processes in order to clearly identify the ability of the processes to act over the entire history of Mars. The areas of surface-atmospheric interaction of Mars are addressed in the ongoing research. The climate system on Mars is controlled by processes involving the exchange between the surface and atmosphere, so it is important to understand the current behavior of those processes. This is especially so in light of the current interest in understanding Mars; the upcoming Mars Observer mission, and the potential for a future sample-return or human-exploration mission will focus emphasis on this area of Mars science.

Remote sensing of atmosphere and oceans; Proceedings of Symposium 1 and of the Topical Meeting of the 27th COSPAR Plenary Meeting, Espoo, Finland, July 18-29, 1988

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Raschke, E. (Editor); Ghazi, A. (Editor); Gower, J. F. R. (Editor); Mccormick, P. (Editor); Gruber, A. (Editor); Hasler, A. F. (Editor)

1989-01-01

Papers are presented on the contribution of space remote sensing observations to the World Climate Research Program and the Global Change Program, covering topics such as space observations for global environmental monitoring, experiments related to land surface fluxes, studies of atmospheric composition, structure, motions, and precipitation, and remote sensing for oceanography, observational studies of the atmosphere, clouds, and the earth radiation budget. Also, papers are given on results from space observations for meteorology, oceanography, and mesoscale atmospheric and ocean processes. The topics include vertical atmospheric soundings, surface water temperature determination, sea level variability, data on the prehurricane atmosphere, linear and circular mesoscale convective systems, Karman vortex clouds, and temporal patterns of phytoplankton abundance.

Wildland fire emissions, carbon, and climate: Plume rise, atmospheric transport, and chemistry processes

Treesearch

Warren Heilman; Yongqiang Liu; Shawn Urbanski; Vladimir Kovalev; Robert Mickler

2014-01-01

This paper provides an overview and summary of the current state of knowledge regarding critical atmospheric processes that affect the distribution and concentrations of greenhouse gases and aerosols emitted from wildland fires or produced through subsequent chemical reactions in the atmosphere. These critical atmospheric processes include the dynamics of plume rise,...

Understanding Atmospheric Anomalies Associated with Seasonal Pluvial-Drought Processes Using Southwest China as an Example

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Z.; LU, G.; He, H.; Wu, Z.; He, J.

2017-12-01

Seasonal pluvial-drought transition processes are unique natural phenomena. To explore possible mechanisms, we considered Southwest China (SWC) as the study region and comprehensively investigated the temporal evolution of large-scale and regional atmospheric variables with the simple method of Standardized Anomalies (SA). Some key results include: (1) The net vertical integral of water vapour flux (VIWVF) across the four boundaries may be a feasible indicator of pluvial-drought transition processes over SWC, because its SA-based index is almost consistent with process development. (2) The vertical SA-based patterns of regional horizontal divergence (D) and vertical motion (ω) also coincides with the pluvial-drought transition processes well, and the SA-based index of regional D show relatively high correlation with the identified processes over SWC. (3) With respect to large-scale anomalies of circulation patterns, a well-organized Eurasian Pattern is one important feature during the pluvial-drought transition over SWC. (4) To explore the possibility of simulating drought development using previous pluvial anomalies, large-scale and regional atmospheric SA-based indices were used. As a whole, when SA-based indices of regional dynamic and water-vapor variables are introduced, simulated drought development only with large-scale anomalies can be improved a lot. (5) Eventually, pluvial-drought transition processes and associated regional atmospheric anomalies over nine Chinese drought study regions were investigated. With respect to regional D, vertically single or double "upper-positive-lower-negative" and "upper-negative-lower-positive" patterns are the most common vertical SA-based patterns during the pluvial and drought parts of transition processes, respectively.

Cloud processing of organic compounds: Secondary organic aerosol and nitrosamine formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hutchings, James W., III

Cloud processing of atmospheric organic compounds has been investigated through field studies, laboratory experiments, and numerical modeling. Observational cloud chemistry studies were performed in northern Arizona and fog studies in central Pennsylvania. At both locations, the cloud and fogs showed low acidity due to neutralization by soil dust components (Arizona) and ammonia (Pennsylvania). The field observations showed substantial concentrations (20-5500 ng•L -1) of volatile organic compounds (VOC) in the cloud droplets. The potential generation of secondary organic aerosol mass through the processing of these anthropogenic VOCs was investigated through laboratory and modeling studies. Under simulated atmospheric conditions, in idealized solutions, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) degraded quickly in the aqueous phase with half lives of approximately three hours. The degradation process yielded less volatile products which would contribute to new aerosol mass upon cloud evaporation. However, when realistic cloud solutions containing natural organic matter were used in the experiments, the reaction kinetics decreased with increasing organic carbon content, resulting in half lives of approximately 7 hours. The secondary organic aerosol (SUA) mass formation potential of cloud processing of BTEX was evaluated. SOA mass formation by cloud processing of BTEX, while strongly dependent on the atmospheric conditions, could contribute up to 9% of the ambient atmospheric aerosol mass, although typically ˜1% appears realistic. Field observations also showed the occurrence of N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), a potent carcinogen, in fogs and clouds (100-340 ng•L -1). Laboratory studies were conducted to investigate the formation of NDMA from nitrous acid and dimethylamine in the homogeneous aqueous phase within cloud droplets. While NDMA was produced in the cloud droplets, the low yields (<1%) observed could not explain observational concentrations. Therefore heterogeneous or gaseous formation of NDMA with partitioning to droplet must be the source of aqueous NDMA. Box-model calculations tended to demonstrate a predominance of a gas phase formation mechanism followed by partitioning into the cloud droplets. The calculations were consistent with field measurements of gaseous and aqueous NDMA concentrations. Measurements and model calculations showed that while NDMA is eventually photolyzed, it might persist in the atmosphere for hours.

STS-48 official crew insignia

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-08-27

STS048-S-001 (July 1991) --- Designed by the astronaut crew members, the patch represents the space shuttle orbiter Discovery in orbit about Earth after deploying the Upper Atmospheric Research Satellite (UARS) depicted in block letter style. The stars are those in the northern hemisphere as seen in the fall and winter when UARS will begin its study of Earth's atmosphere. The color bands on Earth's horizon, extending up to the UARS spacecraft, depict the study of Earth's atmosphere. The triangular shape represents the relationship among the three atmospheric processes that determine upper atmospheric structure and behavior: chemistry, dynamics and energy. In the words of the crew members, "This continuous process brings life to our planet and makes our planet unique in the solar system." The NASA insignia design for space shuttle flights is reserved for use by the astronauts and for other official use as the NASA Administrator may authorize. Public availability has been approved only in the form of illustrations by the various news media. When and if there is any change in this policy, which is not anticipated, it will be publicly announced. Photo credit: NASA

Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. [and other research projects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, F. S.

1974-01-01

Research projects for the period ending September 15, 1973 are reported as follows: (1) the abundances of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, and the processes by which it is released from carbonate deposits in the earth and then transferred to organic material by photosynthesis; the pathways for movement of carbon and oxygen through the atmosphere; (2) space science computation assistance by PDP computer; the performance characteristics and user instances; (3) OGO-6 data analysis studies of the variations of nighttime ion temperature in the upper atmosphere.

Aerosol physicochemical properties in relation to meteorology: Case studies in urban, marine, and arid settings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wonaschuetz, Anna

Atmospheric aerosols are a highly relevant component of the climate system affecting atmospheric radiative transfer and the hydrological cycle. As opposed to other key atmospheric constituents with climatic relevance, atmospheric aerosol particles are highly heterogeneous in time and space with respect to their size, concentration, chemical composition and physical properties. Many aspects of their life cycle are not understood, making them difficult to represent in climate models and hard to control as a pollutant. Aerosol-cloud interactions in particular are infamous as a major source of uncertainty in future climate predictions. Field measurements are an important source of information for the modeling community and can lead to a better understanding of chemical and microphysical processes. In this study, field data from urban, marine, and arid settings are analyzed and the impact of meteorological conditions on the evolution of aerosol particles while in the atmosphere is investigated. Particular attention is given to organic aerosols, which are a poorly understood component of atmospheric aerosols. Local wind characteristics, solar radiation, relative humidity and the presence or absence of clouds and fog are found to be crucial factors in the transport and chemical evolution of aerosol particles. Organic aerosols in particular are found to be heavily impacted by processes in the liquid phase (cloud droplets and aerosol water). The reported measurements serve to improve the process-level understanding of aerosol evolution in different environments and to inform the modeling community by providing realistic values for input parameters and validation of model calculations.

Into the Modelling of RU Vir

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rau, G.; Hron, J.; Paladini, C.; Eriksson, K.; Aringer, B.; Groenewegen, M. A. T.; Mečina, M.

2015-08-01

We present an attempt to model the atmosphere of the carbon-rich Mira star RU Vir, using different techniques including spectroscopy, photometry, and interferometry. A radiative transfer code and hydrostatic model atmospheres were used for a preliminary study. To investigate the dynamic processes happening in RU Vir, dynamic model atmospheres were compared to new MIDI/VLTI observations obtained in April 2014, and SiC opacities were added.

Next Generation MODTRAN for Improved Atmospheric Correction of Spectral Imagery

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-01-29

DoD operational and research sensor and data processing systems, particularly those involving the removal of atmospheric effects, commonly referred...atmospheric correction process. Given the ever increasing capabilities of spectral sensors to quickly generate enormous quantities of data, combined...many DoD operational and research sensor and data processing systems, particularly those involving the removal of atmospheric effects, commonly

Surface energy fluxes at Central Florida during the convection and precipitation electrification experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nie, D.; Demetriades-Shah, T. D.; Kanemasu, E. T.

1993-01-01

One of the objectives of CaPE is to better understand the convective process in central and south Florida during the warm season. The energy and moisture exchanges between the surface and the atmosphere are closely related to this process. Some recent studies have shown that the surface energy balance plays an important role in the climatic fields (Shukla and Mintz, 1982; Sud and Smith, 1985; Sato et. al, 1989). Surface energy fluxes and related surface processes such as evapotranspiration and sensible heat transfer directly effect the temperature, humidity, cloud formation and precipitation. For example, mesoscale circulation around a discontinuity in vegetation type were shown to be stronger with wet soil than with dry soil using an evapotranspiration model (Pinty et. al, 1989). In order to better describe the processes in the atmosphere at various scales and improve our ability of modeling and predicting weather related events, it is crucial to understand the mechanism of surface energy transfer in relation to atmospheric events. Surface energy flux measurements are required to fully understand the interactions between the atmosphere and the surface.

Nonlinear dynamics of global atmospheric and earth system processes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhang, Taiping; Verbitsky, Mikhail; Saltzman, Barry; Mann, Michael E.; Park, Jeffrey; Lall, Upmanu

1995-01-01

During the grant period, the authors continued ongoing studies aimed at enhancing their understanding of the operation of the atmosphere as a complex nonlinear system interacting with the hydrosphere, biosphere, and cryosphere in response to external radiative forcing. Five papers were completed with support from the grant, representing contributions in three main areas of study: (1) theoretical studies of the interactive atmospheric response to changed biospheric boundary conditions measurable from satellites; (2) statistical-observational studies of global-scale temperature variability on interannual to century time scales; and (3) dynamics of long-term earth system changes associated with ice sheet surges.

The Atmospheric Data Acquisition And Interpolation Process For Center-TRACON Automation System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jardin, M. R.; Erzberger, H.; Denery, Dallas G. (Technical Monitor)

1995-01-01

The Center-TRACON Automation System (CTAS), an advanced new air traffic automation program, requires knowledge of spatial and temporal atmospheric conditions such as the wind speed and direction, the temperature and the pressure in order to accurately predict aircraft trajectories. Real-time atmospheric data is available in a grid format so that CTAS must interpolate between the grid points to estimate the atmospheric parameter values. The atmospheric data grid is generally not in the same coordinate system as that used by CTAS so that coordinate conversions are required. Both the interpolation and coordinate conversion processes can introduce errors into the atmospheric data and reduce interpolation accuracy. More accurate algorithms may be computationally expensive or may require a prohibitively large amount of data storage capacity so that trade-offs must be made between accuracy and the available computational and data storage resources. The atmospheric data acquisition and processing employed by CTAS will be outlined in this report. The effects of atmospheric data processing on CTAS trajectory prediction will also be analyzed, and several examples of the trajectory prediction process will be given.

Isotopic Composition of Atmospheric Mercury in China: New Evidence for Sources and Transformation Processes in Air and in Vegetation.

PubMed

Yu, Ben; Fu, Xuewu; Yin, Runsheng; Zhang, Hui; Wang, Xun; Lin, Che-Jen; Wu, Chuansheng; Zhang, Yiping; He, Nannan; Fu, Pingqing; Wang, Zifa; Shang, Lihai; Sommar, Jonas; Sonke, Jeroen E; Maurice, Laurence; Guinot, Benjamin; Feng, Xinbin

2016-09-06

The isotopic composition of atmospheric total gaseous mercury (TGM) and particle-bound mercury (PBM) and mercury (Hg) in litterfall samples have been determined at urban/industrialized and rural sites distributed over mainland China for identifying Hg sources and transformation processes. TGM and PBM near anthropogenic emission sources display negative δ(202)Hg and near-zero Δ(199)Hg in contrast to relatively positive δ(202)Hg and negative Δ(199)Hg observed in remote regions, suggesting that different sources and atmospheric processes force the mass-dependent fractionation (MDF) and mass-independent fractionation (MIF) in the air samples. Both MDF and MIF occur during the uptake of atmospheric Hg by plants, resulting in negative δ(202)Hg and Δ(199)Hg observed in litter-bound Hg. The linear regression resulting from the scatter plot relating the δ(202)Hg to Δ(199)Hg data in the TGM samples indicates distinct anthropogenic or natural influences at the three study sites. A similar trend was also observed for Hg accumulated in broadleaved deciduous forest foliage grown in areas influenced by anthropogenic emissions. The relatively negative MIF in litter-bound Hg compared to TGM is likely a result of the photochemical reactions of Hg(2+) in foliage. This study demonstrates the diagnostic stable Hg isotopic composition characteristics for separating atmospheric Hg of different source origins in China and provides the isotopic fractionation clues for the study of Hg bioaccumulation.

Effect of Alloying Type and Lean Sintering Atmosphere on the Performance of PM Components

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sundaram, M. Vattur; Shvab, R.; Millot, S.; Hryha, E.; Nyborg, L.

2017-12-01

In order to be cost effective and to meet increasing performance demands, powder metallurgy steel components require continuous improvement in terms of materials and process development. This study demonstrates the feasibility of manufacturing structural components using two different alloys systems, i.e. lean Cr-prealloyed and diffusion bonded water atomised powders with different processing conditions. The components were sintered at two different temperatures, i.e. 1120 and 1250 °C for 30 minutes in three different atmospheres: vacuum, N2- 10%H2 atmosphere as well as lean N2-5%H2-0.5%CO-(0.1-0.4)%CH4 sintering atmosphere. Components after sintering were further processed by either low pressure carburizing, sinterhardening or case hardening. All trials were performed in the industrial furnaces to simulate the actual production of the components. Microstructure, fractography, apparent and micro hardness analyses were performed close to the surface and in the middle of the sample to characterize the degree of sintering (temperature and atmosphere) and the effect of heat treatment. In all cases, components possess mostly martensitic microstructure with a few bainitic regions. The fracture surface shows well developed sinter necks. Inter- and trans-granular ductile and cleavage fracture modes are dominant and their fraction is determined by the alloy and processing route.

Clustering mechanism of oxocarboxylic acids involving hydration reaction: Implications for the atmospheric models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Ling; Kupiainen-Määttä, Oona; Zhang, Haijie; Li, Hao; Zhong, Jie; Kurtén, Theo; Vehkamäki, Hanna; Zhang, Shaowen; Zhang, Yunhong; Ge, Maofa; Zhang, Xiuhui; Li, Zesheng

2018-06-01

The formation of atmospheric aerosol particles from condensable gases is a dominant source of particulate matter in the boundary layer, but the mechanism is still ambiguous. During the clustering process, precursors with different reactivities can induce various chemical reactions in addition to the formation of hydrogen bonds. However, the clustering mechanism involving chemical reactions is rarely considered in most of the nucleation process models. Oxocarboxylic acids are common compositions of secondary organic aerosol, but the role of oxocarboxylic acids in secondary organic aerosol formation is still not fully understood. In this paper, glyoxylic acid, the simplest and the most abundant atmospheric oxocarboxylic acid, has been selected as a representative example of oxocarboxylic acids in order to study the clustering mechanism involving hydration reactions using density functional theory combined with the Atmospheric Clusters Dynamic Code. The hydration reaction of glyoxylic acid can occur either in the gas phase or during the clustering process. Under atmospheric conditions, the total conversion ratio of glyoxylic acid to its hydration reaction product (2,2-dihydroxyacetic acid) in both gas phase and clusters can be up to 85%, and the product can further participate in the clustering process. The differences in cluster structures and properties induced by the hydration reaction lead to significant differences in cluster formation rates and pathways at relatively low temperatures.

Fructooligosaccharides integrity after atmospheric cold plasma and high-pressure processing of a functional orange juice.

PubMed

Almeida, Francisca Diva Lima; Gomes, Wesley Faria; Cavalcante, Rosane Souza; Tiwari, Brijesh K; Cullen, Patrick J; Frias, Jesus Maria; Bourke, Paula; Fernandes, Fabiano A N; Rodrigues, Sueli

2017-12-01

In this study, the effect of atmospheric pressure cold plasma and high-pressure processing on the prebiotic orange juice was evaluated. Orange juice containing 7g/100g of commercial fructooligosaccharides (FOS) was directly and indirectly exposed to a plasma discharge at 70kV with processing times of 15, 30, 45 and 60s. For high-pressure processing, the juice containing the same concentration of FOS was treated at 450MPa for 5min at 11.5°C in an industrial equipment (Hyperbaric, model: 300). After the treatments, the fructooligosaccharides were qualified and quantified by thin layer chromatography. The organic acids and color analysis were also evaluated. The maximal overall fructooligosaccharides degradation was found after high-pressure processing. The total color difference was <3.0 for high-pressure and plasma processing. citric and ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) showed increased content after plasma and high-pressure treatment. Thus, atmospheric pressure cold plasma and high-pressure processing can be used as non-thermal alternatives to process prebiotic orange juice. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Vibrational Spectroscopy in Studies of Atmospheric Corrosion

PubMed Central

Hosseinpour, Saman; Johnson, Magnus

2017-01-01

Vibrational spectroscopy has been successfully used for decades in studies of the atmospheric corrosion processes, mainly to identify the nature of corrosion products but also to quantify their amounts. In this review article, a summary of the main achievements is presented with focus on how the techniques infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and vibrational sum frequency spectroscopy can be used in the field. Several different studies have been discussed where these instruments have been used to assess both the nature of corrosion products as well as the properties of corrosion inhibitors. Some of these techniques offer the valuable possibility to perform in-situ measurements in real time on ongoing corrosion processes, which allows the kinetics of formation of corrosion products to be studied, and also minimizes the risk of changing the surface properties which may occur during ex-situ experiments. Since corrosion processes often occur heterogeneously over a surface, it is of great importance to obtain a deeper knowledge about atmospheric corrosion phenomena on the nano scale, and this review also discusses novel vibrational microscopy techniques allowing spectra to be acquired with a spatial resolution of 20 nm. PMID:28772781

Multi-model study of mercury dispersion in the atmosphere: atmospheric processes and model evaluation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Travnikov, Oleg; Angot, Hélène; Artaxo, Paulo; Bencardino, Mariantonia; Bieser, Johannes; D'Amore, Francesco; Dastoor, Ashu; De Simone, Francesco; Diéguez, María del Carmen; Dommergue, Aurélien; Ebinghaus, Ralf; Feng, Xin Bin; Gencarelli, Christian N.; Hedgecock, Ian M.; Magand, Olivier; Martin, Lynwill; Matthias, Volker; Mashyanov, Nikolay; Pirrone, Nicola; Ramachandran, Ramesh; Read, Katie Alana; Ryjkov, Andrei; Selin, Noelle E.; Sena, Fabrizio; Song, Shaojie; Sprovieri, Francesca; Wip, Dennis; Wängberg, Ingvar; Yang, Xin

2017-04-01

Current understanding of mercury (Hg) behavior in the atmosphere contains significant gaps. Some key characteristics of Hg processes, including anthropogenic and geogenic emissions, atmospheric chemistry, and air-surface exchange, are still poorly known. This study provides a complex analysis of processes governing Hg fate in the atmosphere involving both measured data from ground-based sites and simulation results from chemical transport models. A variety of long-term measurements of gaseous elemental Hg (GEM) and reactive Hg (RM) concentration as well as Hg wet deposition flux have been compiled from different global and regional monitoring networks. Four contemporary global-scale transport models for Hg were used, both in their state-of-the-art configurations and for a number of numerical experiments to evaluate particular processes. Results of the model simulations were evaluated against measurements. As follows from the analysis, the interhemispheric GEM gradient is largely formed by the prevailing spatial distribution of anthropogenic emissions in the Northern Hemisphere. The contributions of natural and secondary emissions enhance the south-to-north gradient, but their effect is less significant. Atmospheric chemistry has a limited effect on the spatial distribution and temporal variation of GEM concentration in surface air. In contrast, RM air concentration and wet deposition are largely defined by oxidation chemistry. The Br oxidation mechanism can reproduce successfully the observed seasonal variation of the RM / GEM ratio in the near-surface layer, but it predicts a wet deposition maximum in spring instead of in summer as observed at monitoring sites in North America and Europe. Model runs with OH chemistry correctly simulate both the periods of maximum and minimum values and the amplitude of observed seasonal variation but shift the maximum RM / GEM ratios from spring to summer. O3 chemistry does not predict significant seasonal variation of Hg oxidation. Hence, the performance of the Hg oxidation mechanisms under study differs in the extent to which they can reproduce the various observed parameters. This variation implies possibility of more complex chemistry and multiple Hg oxidation pathways occurring concurrently in various parts of the atmosphere.

Snohomish RARE project update for Tulalip Tribes | Science ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Rising atmospheric CO2 due to anthropogenic emissions alters local atmospheric gas exchange rates in estuaries, causing alterations of the seawater carbonate system and reductions in pH broadly described as coastal acidification. These changes in marine chemistry have been demonstrated to negatively affect a variety of coastal and estuarine organisms. The naturally dynamic carbonate chemistry of estuaries driven by biological activity, hydrodynamic processes, and intensive biogeochemical cycling has led to uncertainty regarding the role of rising atmospheric CO2 as a driver in these systems, and the suggestion that altered atmospheric exchange may be relatively unimportant to estuarine biogeochemistry. In this presentation, we illustrate how rising atmospheric CO2 from 1765 through 2100 interacts with the observed local carbonate chemistry dynamics of a seagrass bed, and calculated how pHT, pCO2, and Ωaragonite respond. This presentation is part of an informal meeting with the Tulalip Tribes of Tulalip, WA to update them on the progress of the ORD/Region 10 RARE project in the Snohomish estuary to study drivers of coastal acidification. Multiple processes, including primary production and respiration, river runoff, cultural eutrophication, oceanic upwelling, and atmospheric exchange contribute to the characteristically dynamic carbonate conditions in these habitats, with potential interactions amongst these processes leading to coastal acidification. As a

A novel APPI-MS setup for in situ degradation product studies of atmospherically relevant compounds: capillary atmospheric pressure photo ionization (cAPPI).

PubMed

Kersten, Hendrik; Derpmann, Valerie; Barnes, Ian; Brockmann, Klaus J; O'Brien, Rob; Benter, Thorsten

2011-11-01

We report on the development of a novel atmospheric pressure photoionization setup and its applicability for in situ degradation product studies of atmospherically relevant compounds. A custom miniature spark discharge lamp was embedded into an ion transfer capillary, which separates the atmospheric pressure from the low pressure region in the first differential pumping stage of a conventional atmospheric pressure ionization mass spectrometer. The lamp operates with a continuous argon flow and produces intense light emissions in the VUV. The custom lamp is operated windowless and efficiently illuminates the sample flow through the transfer capillary on an area smaller than 1 mm(2). Limits of detection in the lower ppbV range, a temporal resolution of milliseconds in the positive as well as the quasi simultaneously operating negative ion mode, and a significant reduction of ion transformation processes render this system applicable to real time studies of rapidly changing chemical systems. The method termed capillary atmospheric pressure photo ionization (cAPPI) is characterized with respect to the lamp emission properties as a function of the operating conditions, temporal response, and its applicability for in situ degradation product studies of atmospherically relevant compounds, respectively.

A study on atmospheric and oceanic processes in the north Indian Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Felton, Clifford S.

Studies on oceanic and atmospheric processes in the Indian Ocean are an active and important area of scientific research. Understanding how intraseasonal and interannual variations impact both the ocean and atmosphere will aid in delineating potential feedback mechanisms and global teleconnections. Thanks to recent efforts focused on expanding observational capabilities and developing models for this region, researchers have been able to begin investigating atmospheric and oceanic processes in the Indian Ocean. This study focuses on the impact of the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on tropical cyclone activity over the Bay of Bengal (BoB) and on developing a method for estimating the barrier layer thickness (BLT) in the Indian Ocean from satellite observations. National Center for Environmental Prediction (NCEP-2) and Simple Ocean Data Assimilation (SODA) reanalysis data are used to investigate the alterations in atmospheric and oceanic conditions that impact tropical cyclones during ENSO events over a 33-year time frame (1979-2011). Atmospheric conditions are shown to be more favorable for tropical cyclone development during La Nina over the BoB due to the favorable alteration of large-scale wind, moisture, and vorticity distributions. By combining multiple satellite observations, including the recently launched Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) and Aquarius SAC-D salinity missions, BLT estimates for the Indian Ocean are generated with the use of a multilinear regression model (MRM). The performance of the MRM is evaluated for the Southeast Arabian Sea (SEAS), Bay of Bengal (BoB), and Eastern Equatorial Indian Ocean (EEIO) where barrier layer formation is most rigorous. Results from the MRM suggest that salinity measurements obtained from Aquarius and SMOS can be useful for tracking and predicting the BLT in the Indian Ocean.

Assessing uncertainty and sensitivity of model parameterizations and parameters in WRF affecting simulated surface fluxes and land-atmosphere coupling over the Amazon region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qian, Y.; Wang, C.; Huang, M.; Berg, L. K.; Duan, Q.; Feng, Z.; Shrivastava, M. B.; Shin, H. H.; Hong, S. Y.

2016-12-01

This study aims to quantify the relative importance and uncertainties of different physical processes and parameters in affecting simulated surface fluxes and land-atmosphere coupling strength over the Amazon region. We used two-legged coupling metrics, which include both terrestrial (soil moisture to surface fluxes) and atmospheric (surface fluxes to atmospheric state or precipitation) legs, to diagnose the land-atmosphere interaction and coupling strength. Observations made using the Department of Energy's Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Mobile Facility during the GoAmazon field campaign together with satellite and reanalysis data are used to evaluate model performance. To quantify the uncertainty in physical parameterizations, we performed a 120 member ensemble of simulations with the WRF model using a stratified experimental design including 6 cloud microphysics, 3 convection, 6 PBL and surface layer, and 3 land surface schemes. A multiple-way analysis of variance approach is used to quantitatively analyze the inter- and intra-group (scheme) means and variances. To quantify parameter sensitivity, we conducted an additional 256 WRF simulations in which an efficient sampling algorithm is used to explore the multiple-dimensional parameter space. Three uncertainty quantification approaches are applied for sensitivity analysis (SA) of multiple variables of interest to 20 selected parameters in YSU PBL and MM5 surface layer schemes. Results show consistent parameter sensitivity across different SA methods. We found that 5 out of 20 parameters contribute more than 90% total variance, and first-order effects dominate comparing to the interaction effects. Results of this uncertainty quantification study serve as guidance for better understanding the roles of different physical processes in land-atmosphere interactions, quantifying model uncertainties from various sources such as physical processes, parameters and structural errors, and providing insights for improving the model physics parameterizations.

Laboratory Simulations of Martian and Venusian Aeolian Processes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Greeley, Ronald

1999-01-01

With the flyby of the Neptune system by Voyager, the preliminary exploration of the Solar System was accomplished. Data have been returned for all major planets and satellites except the Pluto system. Results show that the surfaces of terrestrial planets and satellites have been subjected to a wide variety of geological processes. On solid- surface planetary objects having an atmosphere, aeolian processes are important in modifying their surfaces through the redistribution of fine-grained material by the wind. Bedrock may be eroded to produce particles and the particles transported by wind for deposition in other areas. This process operates on Earth today and is evident throughout the geological record. Aeolian processes also occur on Mars, Venus, and possibly Titan and Triton, both of which are outer planet satellites that have atmospheres. Mariner 9 and Viking results show abundant wind-related landforms on Mars, including dune fields and yardangs (wind-eroded hills). On Venus, measurements made by the Soviet Venera and Vega spacecraft and extrapolations from the Pioneer Venus atmospheric probes show that surface winds are capable of transporting particulate materials and suggest that aeolian processes may operate on that planet as well. Magellan radar images of Venus show abundant wind streaks in some areas, as well as dune fields and a zone of possible yardangs. The study of planetary aeolian processes must take into account diverse environments, from the cold, low-density atmosphere of Mars to the extremely hot, high- density Venusian atmosphere. Factors such as threshold wind speeds (minimum wind velocity needed to move particles), rates of erosion and deposition, trajectories of windblown particles, and aeolian flow fields over various landforms are all important aspects of the problem. In addition, study of aeolian terrains on Earth using data analogous to planetary data-collection systems is critical to the interpretation of spacecraft information and places constraints on results from numerical models and laboratory simulations.

Studies of the airglow, the aurora, the ion and neutral composition, and the chemistry of the terrestrial atmosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zipf, E. C., Jr.

1974-01-01

Results obtained by rocket-borne optical spectrometry are presented. Composition measurements and auroral studies are reported. The production of N (D-2) atoms by photo-absorption processes, and by electron impact excitation of N2 are discussed along with vibrationally excited CO2(+) ions in planetary atmospheres.

Phase B: Final definition and preliminary design study for the initial Atmospheric Cloud Physics Laboratory (ACPL): A spacelab mission payload. Final review (DR-MA-03)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clausen, O. W.

1976-01-01

Systems design for an initial atmospheric cloud physics laboratory to study microphysical processes in zero gravity is presented. Included are descriptions of the fluid, thermal, mechanical, control and data, and electrical distribution interfaces with Spacelab. Schedule and cost analysis are discussed.

Parameterization and scaling of Arctic ice conditions in the context of ice-atmosphere processes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barry, R. G.; Heinrichs, J.; Steffen, K.; Maslanik, J. A.; Key, J.; Serreze, M. C.; Weaver, R. W.

1994-01-01

This report summarizes achievements during year three of our project to investigate the use of ERS-1 SAR data to study Arctic ice and ice/atmosphere processes. The project was granted a one year extension, and goals for the final year are outlined. The specific objects of the project are to determine how the development and evolution of open water/thin ice areas within the interior ice pack vary under different atmospheric synoptic regimes; compare how open water/thin ice fractions estimated from large-area divergence measurements differ from fractions determined by summing localized openings in the pack; relate these questions of scale and process to methods of observation, modeling, and averaging over time and space; determine whether SAR data might be used to calibrate ice concentration estimates from medium and low-rate bit sensors (AVHRR and DMSP-OLS) and the special sensor microwave imager (SSM/I); and investigate methods to integrate SAR data for turbulent heat flux parametrization at the atmosphere interface with other satellite data.

Large Scale Processes and Extreme Floods in Brazil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ribeiro Lima, C. H.; AghaKouchak, A.; Lall, U.

2016-12-01

Persistent large scale anomalies in the atmospheric circulation and ocean state have been associated with heavy rainfall and extreme floods in water basins of different sizes across the world. Such studies have emerged in the last years as a new tool to improve the traditional, stationary based approach in flood frequency analysis and flood prediction. Here we seek to advance previous studies by evaluating the dominance of large scale processes (e.g. atmospheric rivers/moisture transport) over local processes (e.g. local convection) in producing floods. We consider flood-prone regions in Brazil as case studies and the role of large scale climate processes in generating extreme floods in such regions is explored by means of observed streamflow, reanalysis data and machine learning methods. The dynamics of the large scale atmospheric circulation in the days prior to the flood events are evaluated based on the vertically integrated moisture flux and its divergence field, which are interpreted in a low-dimensional space as obtained by machine learning techniques, particularly supervised kernel principal component analysis. In such reduced dimensional space, clusters are obtained in order to better understand the role of regional moisture recycling or teleconnected moisture in producing floods of a given magnitude. The convective available potential energy (CAPE) is also used as a measure of local convection activities. We investigate for individual sites the exceedance probability in which large scale atmospheric fluxes dominate the flood process. Finally, we analyze regional patterns of floods and how the scaling law of floods with drainage area responds to changes in the climate forcing mechanisms (e.g. local vs large scale).

Origin and evolution of planetary atmospheres

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pollack, J. B.; Yung, Y. L.

1980-01-01

The current understanding of the origin and evolution of the atmospheres of solar system objects is reviewed. Physical processes that control this evolution are described in an attempt to develop a set of general principles that can help guide studies of specific objects. Particular emphasis is placed on the planetary and satellite atmospheres of the inner solar system objects; current hypotheses on the origin and evolution of these objects are critically considered.

Comparison of GCM subgrid fluxes calculated using BATS and SiB schemes with a coupled land-atmosphere high-resolution model

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shen, Jinmei; Arritt, R.W.

The importance of land-atmosphere interactions and biosphere in climate change studies has long been recognized, and several land-atmosphere interaction schemes have been developed. Among these, the Simple Biosphere scheme (SiB) of Sellers et al. and the Biosphere Atmosphere Transfer Scheme (BATS) of Dickinson et al. are two of the most widely known. The effects of GCM subgrid-scale inhomogeneities of surface properties in general circulation models also has received increasing attention in recent years. However, due to the complexity of land surface processes and the difficulty to prescribe the large number of parameters that determine atmospheric and soil interactions with vegetation,more » many previous studies and results seem to be contradictory. A GCM grid element typically represents an area of 10{sup 4}-10{sup 6} km{sup 2}. Within such an area, there exist variations of soil type, soil wetness, vegetation type, vegetation density and topography, as well as urban areas and water bodies. In this paper, we incorporate both BATS and SiB2 land surface process schemes into a nonhydrostatic, compressible version of AMBLE model (Atmospheric Model -- Boundary-Layer Emphasis), and compare the surface heat fluxes and mesoscale circulations calculated using the two schemes. 8 refs., 5 figs.« less

Space images processing methodology for assessment of atmosphere pollution impact on forest-swamp territories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Polichtchouk, Yuri; Tokareva, Olga; Bulgakova, Irina V.

2003-03-01

Methodical problems of space images processing for assessment of atmosphere pollution impact on forest ecosystems using geoinformation systems are developed. An approach to quantitative assessment of atmosphere pollution impact on forest ecosystems is based on calculating relative squares of forest landscapes which are inside atmosphere pollution zones. Landscape structure of forested territories in the southern part of Western Siberia are determined on the basis of procession of middle resolution space images from spaceborn Resource-O. Particularities of atmosphere pollution zones modeling caused by gas burning in torches on territories of oil fields are considered. Pollution zones were revealed by modeling of contaminants dispersal in atmosphere with standard models. Polluted landscapes squares are calculated depending on atmosphere pollution level.

NASA/MSFC FY-84 Atmospheric Processes Research Review

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vaughan, W. W. (Compiler); Porter, F. (Compiler)

1984-01-01

The two main areas of focus for NASA/MSFC's atmospheric research program are: (1) global scale processes (geophysical fluid processes, satellite Doppler lidar wind profiler, and satellite data analyses) and (2) mesoscale processes (atmospheric electricity (lightning), ground/airborne Doppler lidar wind measurements, and mesoscale analyses and space sensors). Topics within these two general areas are addressed.

Effects of atmospheric composition on respiratory behavior, weight loss, and appearance of Camembert-type cheeses during chamber ripening.

PubMed

Picque, D; Leclercq-Perlat, M-N; Corrieu, G

2006-08-01

Respiratory activity, weight loss, and appearance of Camembert-type cheeses were studied during chamber ripening in relation to atmospheric composition. Cheese ripening was carried out in chambers under continuously renewed, periodically renewed, or nonrenewed gaseous atmospheres or under a CO(2) concentration kept constant at either 2 or 6% throughout the chamber-ripening process. It was found that overall atmospheric composition, and especially CO(2) concentration, of the ripening chamber affected respiratory activity. When CO(2) was maintained at either 2 or 6%, O(2) consumption and CO(2) production (and their kinetics) were higher compared with ripening trials carried out without regulating CO(2) concentration over time. Global weight loss was maximal under continuously renewed atmospheric conditions. In this case, the airflow increased exchanges between cheeses and the atmosphere. The ratio between water evaporation and CO(2) release also depended on atmospheric composition, especially CO(2) concentration. The thickening of the creamy underrind increased more quickly when CO(2) was present in the chamber from the beginning of the ripening process. However, CO(2) concentrations higher than 2% negatively influenced the appearance of the cheeses.

Study on Al2O3 extraction from activated coal gangue under different calcination atmospheres

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dong, Ling; Liang, Xinxing; Song, Qiang; Gao, Gewu; Song, Lihua; Shu, Yuanfeng; Shu, Xinqian

2017-12-01

Coal gangue was calcinated under air, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, air-hydrogen, and hydrogen atmospheres. The effects of different calcination temperatures and atmospheres on the mineral composition of activated coal gangue were investigated by X-ray diffraction. Moreover, the acid leaching kinetics of aluminum oxide from coal gangue was investigated with sulfuric acid. It showed that the air atmosphere promoted kaolinite decomposition during coal gangue calcination. The hydrogen atmosphere promoted the activation and decomposition of kaolinite at reaction temperatures exceeding 650°C. The carbon dioxide atmosphere eliminated the influence of residual carbon on coal gangue. When the ratio of acid/coal gangue was 1.5 and reaction temperature was 650°C, the sulfuric acid leaching rate under air, air-hydrogen, carbon dioxide, hydrogen and nitrogen atmospheres were 93.66%, 90.90%, 84.06%, 81.91% and 77.54% respectively. The acid leaching reaction process conformed to unreacted shrinking core model of particle unchanged, and was controlled by the interfacial chemical reaction. The reaction kinetic equation for the leaching process was 1-(1-x)1/3=kt with an apparent activation energy of 48.97 kJ/mol.

From biota to chemistry and climate: towards a comprehensive description of trace gas exchange between the biosphere and atmosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arneth, A.; Sitch, S.; Bondeau, A.; Butterbach-Bahl, K.; Foster, P.; Gedney, N.; de Noblet-Ducoudré, N.; Prentice, I. C.; Sanderson, M.; Thonicke, K.; Wania, R.; Zaehle, S.

2010-01-01

Exchange of non-CO2 trace gases between the land surface and the atmosphere plays an important role in atmospheric chemistry and climate. Recent studies have highlighted its importance for interpretation of glacial-interglacial ice-core records, the simulation of the pre-industrial and present atmosphere, and the potential for large climate-chemistry and climate-aerosol feedbacks in the coming century. However, spatial and temporal variations in trace gas emissions and the magnitude of future feedbacks are a major source of uncertainty in atmospheric chemistry, air quality and climate science. To reduce such uncertainties Dynamic Global Vegetation Models (DGVMs) are currently being expanded to mechanistically represent processes relevant to non-CO2 trace gas exchange between land biota and the atmosphere. In this paper we present a review of important non-CO2 trace gas emissions, the state-of-the-art in DGVM modelling of processes regulating these emissions, identify key uncertainties for global scale model applications, and discuss a methodology for model integration and evaluation.

From biota to chemistry and climate: towards a comprehensive description of trace gas exchange between the biosphere and atmosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arneth, A.; Sitch, S.; Bondeau, A.; Butterbach-Bahl, K.; Foster, P.; Gedney, N.; de Noblet-Ducoudré, N.; Prentice, I. C.; Sanderson, M.; Thonicke, K.; Wania, R.; Zaehle, S.

2009-07-01

Exchange of non-CO2 trace gases between the land surface and the atmosphere plays an important role in atmospheric chemistry and climate. Recent studies have highlighted its importance for interpretation of glacial-interglacial ice-core records, the simulation of the pre-industrial and present atmosphere, and the potential for large climate-chemistry and climate-aerosol feedbacks in the coming century. However, spatial and temporal variations in trace gas emissions and the magnitude of future feedbacks are a major source of uncertainty in atmospheric chemistry, air quality and climate science. To reduce such uncertainties Dynamic Global Vegetation Models (DGVMs) are currently being expanded to mechanistically represent processes relevant to non-CO2 trace gas exchange between land biota and the atmosphere. In this paper we present a review of important non-CO2 trace gas emissions, the state-of-the-art in DGVM modelling of processes regulating these emissions, identify key uncertainties for global scale model applications, and discuss a methodology for model integration and evaluation.

Atmospheric Hydrogen Scavenging: from Enzymes to Ecosystems

PubMed Central

Constant, Philippe; Hards, Kiel; Morales, Sergio E.; Oakeshott, John G.; Russell, Robyn J.; Taylor, Matthew C.; Berney, Michael; Conrad, Ralf; Cook, Gregory M.

2014-01-01

We have known for 40 years that soils can consume the trace amounts of molecular hydrogen (H2) found in the Earth's atmosphere. This process is predicted to be the most significant term in the global hydrogen cycle. However, the organisms and enzymes responsible for this process were only recently identified. Pure culture experiments demonstrated that several species of Actinobacteria, including streptomycetes and mycobacteria, can couple the oxidation of atmospheric H2 to the reduction of ambient O2. A combination of genetic, biochemical, and phenotypic studies suggest that these organisms primarily use this fuel source to sustain electron input into the respiratory chain during energy starvation. This process is mediated by a specialized enzyme, the group 5 [NiFe]-hydrogenase, which is unusual for its high affinity, oxygen insensitivity, and thermostability. Atmospheric hydrogen scavenging is a particularly dependable mode of energy generation, given both the ubiquity of the substrate and the stress tolerance of its catalyst. This minireview summarizes the recent progress in understanding how and why certain organisms scavenge atmospheric H2. In addition, it provides insight into the wider significance of hydrogen scavenging in global H2 cycling and soil microbial ecology. PMID:25501483

Advanced Modeling Techniques to Study Anthropogenic Influences on Atmospheric Chemical Budgets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mathur, Rohit

1997-01-01

This research work is a collaborative effort between research groups at MCNC and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The overall objective of this research is to improve the level of understanding of the processes that determine the budgets of chemically and radiatively active compounds in the atmosphere through development and application of advanced methods for calculating the chemical change in atmospheric models. The research performed during the second year of this project focused on four major aspects: (1) The continued development and refinement of multiscale modeling techniques to address the issue of the disparate scales of the physico-chemical processes that govern the fate of atmospheric pollutants; (2) Development and application of analysis methods utilizing process and mass balance techniques to increase the interpretive powers of atmospheric models and to aid in complementary analysis of model predictions and observations; (3) Development of meteorological and emission inputs for initial application of the chemistry/transport model over the north Atlantic region; and, (4) The continued development and implementation of a totally new adaptive chemistry representation that changes the details of what is represented as the underlying conditions change.

Kinetic study on UV-absorber photodegradation under different conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bubev, Emil; Georgiev, Anton; Machkova, Maria

2016-09-01

The photodegradation kinetics of two benzophenone derivative UV-absorbers (UVAs)-BP-4 (benzophenone-4) and 4-HBP (4-hydroxybenzophenone), as additives in polyvinyl acetate (PVAc) films, were studied. Solution-processed PVAc films were irradiated in different environments in order to study oxygen and atmospheric humidity influence on UVA photodegradation. Photodegradation was traced by absorption intensity loss via UV-vis spectroscopy. Both UVAs exhibited excellent photostability in an inert atmosphere. Rate constants showed that BP-4 has better permanence in absence of oxygen. Both film types experienced rapid absorption loss, when irradiated in an oxygen containing atmosphere. UVA degradation was treated as a two-stage process. The photodegradation kinetics in the first stage agreed with the adopted complex rate law, but the second stage was best described by pseudo-first order kinetics. BP-4 exhibited better stability. Oxygen was established as the main accelerating factor for photodegradation of benzophenone derivatives UV-absorbers in thin PVAc films.

Effect of atmospheric organic complexation on iron-bearing dust solubility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paris, R.; Desboeufs, K. V.

2013-05-01

Recent studies reported that the effect of organic complexation may be a potentially important process to be considered by models estimating atmospheric iron flux to the ocean. In this study, we investigated this process effect by a series of dissolution experiments on iron-bearing dust in the presence or the absence of various organic compounds (acetate, formate, oxalate, malonate, succinate, glutarate, glycolate, lactate, tartrate and humic acid as an analogue of humic like substances, HULIS) typically found in atmospheric waters. Only 4 of tested organic ligands (oxalate, malonate, tartrate and humic acid) caused an enhancement of iron solubility which was associated with an increase of dissolved Fe(II) concentrations. For all of these organic ligands, a positive linear dependence of iron solubility to organic concentrations was observed and showed that the extent of organic complexation on iron solubility decreased in the following order: oxalate >malonate = tartrate > humic acid. This was attributed to the ability of electron donors of organic ligands and implies a reductive ligand-promoted dissolution. This study confirms that among the known atmospheric organic binding ligands of Fe, oxalate is the most effective ligand promoting dust iron solubility and showed, for the first time, the potential effect of HULIS on iron dissolution under atmospheric conditions.

Coupling Processes between Atmospheric Chemistry and Climate

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ko, Malcolm K. W.; Weisenstein, Debra K.; Shia, Run-Lie; Scott, Courtney J.; Sze, Nien Dak

1998-01-01

This is the fourth semi-annual report for NAS5-97039, covering the time period July through December 1998. The overall objective of this project is to improve the understanding of coupling processes between atmospheric chemistry and climate. Model predictions of the future distributions of trace gases in the atmosphere constitute an important component of the input necessary for quantitative assessments of global change. We will concentrate on the changes in ozone and stratospheric sulfate aerosol, with emphasis on how ozone in the lower stratosphere would respond to natural or anthropogenic changes. The key modeling tools for this work are the Atmospheric and Environmental Research (AER) two-dimensional chemistry-transport model, the AER two-dimensional stratospheric sulfate model, and the AER three-wave interactive model with full chemistry. For this six month period, we report on a modeling study of new rate constant which modify the NOx/NOy ratio in the lower stratosphere; sensitivity to changes in stratospheric water vapor in the future atmosphere; a study of N2O and CH4 observations which has allowed us to adjust diffusion in the 2-D CTM in order to obtain appropriate polar vortex isolation; a study of SF6 and age of air with comparisons of models and measurements; and a report on the Models and Measurements II effort.

Biogenic organic emissions, air quality and climate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guenther, A. B.

2015-12-01

Living organisms produce copious amounts of a diverse array of metabolites including many volatile organic compounds that are released into the atmosphere. These compounds participate in numerous chemical reactions that influence the atmospheric abundance of important air pollutants and short-lived climate forcers including organic aerosol, ozone and methane. The production and release of these organics are strongly influenced by environmental conditions including air pollution, temperature, solar radiation, and water availability and they are highly sensitive to stress and extreme events. As a result, releases of biogenic organics to the atmosphere have an impact on, and are sensitive to, air quality and climate leading to potential feedback couplings. Their role in linking air quality and climate is conceptually clear but an accurate quantitative representation is needed for predictive models. Progress towards this goal will be presented including numerical model development and assessments of the predictive capability of the Model of Emission of Gases and Aerosols from Nature (MEGAN). Recent studies of processes controlling the magnitude and variations in biogenic organic emissions will be described and observations of their impact on atmospheric composition will be shown. Recent advances and priorities for future research will be discussed including laboratory process studies, long-term measurements, multi-scale regional studies, global satellite observations, and the development of a next generation model for simulating land-atmosphere chemical exchange.

Prebiotic organic matter - Possible pathways for synthesis in a geological context

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chang, S.

1982-01-01

Models for the accretion of the earth, core formation, differentiation of the planet into core, mantle, crust, and atmosphere, and prebiotic synthesis of organic materials are reviewed. The development of the Haldane-Oparin and Urey models is traced, and the effect of accretion time on the outgassing process and the composition of the consequent atmosphere is examined. Model prebiotic atmospheres are calculated, the extent of equilibration of the primitive atmosphere is studied and the evolution of the atmosphere prior to organic chemical evolution is reviewed. Finally, experimental progress in synthesis of biological monomers and polymers under presumed early earth conditions is covered.

Combined ground-based and satellite remote sensing of atmospheric aerosol and Earth surface in the Antarctic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chaikovsky, Anatoli; Korol, Michail; Malinka, A.; Zege, E.; Katsev, I.; Prikhach, A.; Denisov, S.; Dick, V.; Goloub, P.; Blarel, L.; Chaikovskaya, L.; Lapyonok, A.; Podvin, T.; Denishchik-Nelubina, N.; Fedarenka, A.; Svidinsky, V.

2016-01-01

The paper presents lecture materials given at the Nineteenth International Conference and School on Quantum Electronics "Laser Physics and Applications" (19th ICSQE) in 2016, Sozopol, Bulgaria and contains the results of the 10-year research of Belarusian Antarctic expeditions to study the atmospheric aerosol and Earth surface in Antarctica. The works focus on the studying variability and trends of aerosol, cloud and snow characteristics in the Antarctic and the links of these processes with the long range transport of atmospheric pollutants and climate changes.

DAVINCI: Deep Atmosphere Venus Investigation of Noble gases, Chemistry, and Imaging

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Glaze, Lori S.; Garvin, James B.; Robertson, Brent; Johnson, Natasha M.; Amato, Michael J.; Thompson, Jessica; Goodloe, Colby; Everette, Dave

2017-01-01

DAVINCI is one of five Discovery-class missions selected by NASA in October 2015 for Phase A studies. Launching in November 2021 and arriving at Venus in June of 2023, DAVINCI would be the first U.S. entry probe to target Venus atmosphere in 45 years. DAVINCI is designed to study the chemical and isotopic composition of a complete cross-section of Venus atmosphere at a level of detail that has not been possible on earlier missions and to image the surface at optical wavelengths and process-relevant scales.

The atmospheric escape at Mars: complementing the scenario

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lilensten, Jean; Simon, Cyril; Barthélémy, Mathieu; Thissen, Roland; Ehrenreich, David; Gronoff, Guillaume; Witasse, Olivier

2013-04-01

In the recent years, the presence of dications in the atmospheres of Mars, Venus, Earth and Titan has been modeled and assessed. These studies also suggested that these ions could participate to the escape of the planetary atmospheres because a large fraction of them is unstable and highly ener- getic. When they dissociate, their internal energy is transformed into kinetic energy which may be larger than the escape energy. This study assesses the impact of the doubly-charged ions in the escape of CO2-dominated planetary atmospheres and to compare it to the escape of thermal photo-ions.We solve a Boltzmann transport equation at daytime taking into account the dissociative states of CO++ for a simplified single constituent atmosphere of a 2 case-study planet. We compute the escape of fast ions using a Beer-Lambert approach. We study three test-cases. On a Mars-analog planet in today's conditions, we retrieve the measured electron escape flux. When comparing the two mechanisms (i.e. excluding solar wind effects, sputtering ...), the escape due to the fast ions issuing from the dissociation of dications may account for up to 6% of the total and the escape of thermal ions for the remaining. We show that these two mechanisms cannot explain the escape of the atmosphere since the magnetic field vanished but complement the other processes and allow writing the scenario of the Mars escape. We show that the atmosphere of a Mars analog planet would empty in another giga years and a half. At Venus orbit, the contribution of the dications in the escape rate is negligible.When simulating the hot Jupiter HD209458b, the two processes cannot explain the measured escape flux of C+.

Seasonal-to-Interannual Precipitation Variability and Predictability in a Coupled Land-Atmosphere System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Koster, Randal D.; Suarez, M. J.; Heiser, M.

1998-01-01

In an earlier GCM study, we showed that interactive land surface processes generally contribute more to continental precipitation variance than do variable sea surface temperatures (SSTs). A new study extends this result through an analysis of 16-member ensembles of multi-decade GCM simulations. We can now show that in many regions, although land processes determine the amplitude of the interannual precipitation anomalies, variable SSTs nevertheless control their timing. The GCM data can be processed into indices that describe geographical variations in (1) the potential for seasonal-to-interannual prediction, and (2) the extent to which the predictability relies on the proper representation of land-atmosphere feedback.

Setting up infrasonic propagation simulation using the latest real-time atmospheric specifications at the IDC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brachet, N.; Mialle, P.; Brown, D.; Coyne, J.; Drob, D.; Virieux, J.; Garcés, M.

2009-04-01

The International Data Centre (IDC) of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBTO) Preparatory Commission in Vienna is pursuing its automatic processing effort for the return of infrasound data processing into operations in 2009. Concurrently, work is also underway to further improve this process by enhancing the modeling of the infrasound propagation in the atmosphere and then by labeling the phases in order to improve the event categorization and location. In 2008, the IDC acquired WASP-3D Sph (Windy Atmospheric Sonic Propagation) (Virieux et al., 2004) a 3-D ray-tracing based long range propagation software that accounts for the heterogeneity of the atmosphere. Once adapted to the IDC environment, WASP-3 Sph has been used to improve the understanding of infrasound wave propagation and has been compared with the 1-D ray tracing Taupc software (Garcés and Drob, 2007) at the IDC. In addition to performing the infrasound propagation simulation, different atmospheric models are available at the IDC, either real-time: ECMWF (European Centre for Middle-range Weather Forecast), or empiric: HWM93 (Horizontal Wind Model) and HWM07 (Drob, 2008), used in their initial format or interpolated into G2S (Ground to Space) model. The IDC infrasound reference database is used for testing, comparing and validating the various propagation software and atmospheric specifications. Moreover all the performed simulations are giving feedback on the quality of the infrasound reference events and provide useful information to improve their location by refining infrasonic wave propagation characteristics. The results of this study are presented for a selection of reference events and they will help the IDC designing and defining short and mid-term enhancements of the infrasound automatic and interactive processing to take into account the spatial and temporal heterogeneities of the atmosphere.

Organic chemistry on Titan

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chang, S.; Scattergood, T.; Aronowitz, S.; Flores, J.

1978-01-01

Observations of nonequilibrium phenomena on the Saturn satellite Titan indicate the occurrence of organic chemical evolution. Greenhouse and thermal inversion models of Titan's atmosphere provide environmental constraints within which various pathways for organic chemical synthesis are assessed. Experimental results and theoretical modeling studies suggest that the organic chemistry of the satellite may be dominated by two atmospheric processes: energetic-particle bombardment and photochemistry. Reactions initiated in various levels of the atmosphere by cosmic ray, Saturn wind, and solar wind particle bombardment of a CH4 - N2 atmospheric mixture can account for the C2-hydrocarbons, the UV-visible-absorbing stratospheric haze, and the reddish color of the satellite. Photochemical reactions of CH4 can also account for the presence of C2-hydrocarbons. In the lower Titan atmosphere, photochemical processes will be important if surface temperatures are sufficiently high for gaseous NH3 to exist. Hot H-atom reactions initiated by photo-dissociation of NH3 can couple the chemical reactions of NH3 and CH4 and produce organic matter.

Numerical simulations of atmospheric dispersion of iodine-131 by different models.

PubMed

Leelőssy, Ádám; Mészáros, Róbert; Kovács, Attila; Lagzi, István; Kovács, Tibor

2017-01-01

Nowadays, several dispersion models are available to simulate the transport processes of air pollutants and toxic substances including radionuclides in the atmosphere. Reliability of atmospheric transport models has been demonstrated in several recent cases from local to global scale; however, very few actual emission data are available to evaluate model results in real-life cases. In this study, the atmospheric dispersion of 131I emitted to the atmosphere during an industrial process was simulated with different models, namely the WRF-Chem Eulerian online coupled model and the HYSPLIT and the RAPTOR Lagrangian models. Although only limited data of 131I detections has been available, the accuracy of modeled plume direction could be evaluated in complex late autumn weather situations. For the studied cases, the general reliability of models has been demonstrated. However, serious uncertainties arise related to low level inversions, above all in case of an emission event on 4 November 2011, when an important wind shear caused a significant difference between simulated and real transport directions. Results underline the importance of prudent interpretation of dispersion model results and the identification of weather conditions with a potential to cause large model errors.

Numerical simulations of atmospheric dispersion of iodine-131 by different models

PubMed Central

Leelőssy, Ádám; Mészáros, Róbert; Kovács, Attila; Lagzi, István; Kovács, Tibor

2017-01-01

Nowadays, several dispersion models are available to simulate the transport processes of air pollutants and toxic substances including radionuclides in the atmosphere. Reliability of atmospheric transport models has been demonstrated in several recent cases from local to global scale; however, very few actual emission data are available to evaluate model results in real-life cases. In this study, the atmospheric dispersion of 131I emitted to the atmosphere during an industrial process was simulated with different models, namely the WRF-Chem Eulerian online coupled model and the HYSPLIT and the RAPTOR Lagrangian models. Although only limited data of 131I detections has been available, the accuracy of modeled plume direction could be evaluated in complex late autumn weather situations. For the studied cases, the general reliability of models has been demonstrated. However, serious uncertainties arise related to low level inversions, above all in case of an emission event on 4 November 2011, when an important wind shear caused a significant difference between simulated and real transport directions. Results underline the importance of prudent interpretation of dispersion model results and the identification of weather conditions with a potential to cause large model errors. PMID:28207853

Development of an autonomous unmanned aerial system for atmospheric data collection and research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Andrew; Hanlon, David; Sakai, Ricardo; Morris, Vernon; Demoz, Belay; Gadsden, S. Andrew

2016-05-01

This paper addresses the use of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) to carry out atmospheric data collection and studies. An important area of research is the study of the chemistry and physics of Earth's planetary boundary layer (PBL). The PBL, also known as the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL), is the lowest part of the atmosphere and its behavior is directly influenced by its contact with the planetary surface. Sampling of the PBL is performed in a timely and periodic manner. Currently, sensors and uncontrollable balloons are used to obtain relevant data and information. This method is cumbersome and can be ineffective in obtaining consistent environmental data. This paper proposes the use of autonomous UAS' to study the atmosphere in an effort to improve the efficiency and accuracy of the sampling process. The UAS setup and design is provided, and preliminary data collection information is shared.

A comparison between atmospheric/humidity and vacuum cyanoacrylate fuming of latent fingermarks.

PubMed

Farrugia, Kevin J; Fraser, Joanna; Friel, Lauren; Adams, Duncan; Attard-Montalto, Nicola; Deacon, Paul

2015-12-01

A number of pseudo-operational trials were set up to compare the atmospheric/humidity and vacuum cyanoacrylate fuming processes on plastic carrier bags. The fuming processes were compared using two-step cyanoacrylate fuming with basic yellow 40 (BY40) staining and a one-step fluorescent cyanoacrylate fuming, Lumicyano 4%. Preliminary work using planted fingermarks and split depletions were performed to identify the optimum vacuum fuming conditions. The first pseudo-operational trial compared the different fuming conditions (atmospheric/humidity vs. vacuum) for the two-step process where an additional 50% more marks were detected with the atmospheric/humidity process. None of the marks by the vacuum process could be observed visually; however, a significant number of marks were detected by fluorescence after BY40 staining. The second trial repeated the same work in trial 1 using the one-step cyanoacrylate process, Lumicyano at a concentration of 4%. Trial 2 provided comparable results to trial 1 and all the items were then re-treated with Lumicyano 4% at atmospheric/humidity conditions before dyeing with BY40 to provide the sequences of process A (Lumicyano 4% atmospheric-Lumicyano 4% atmospheric-BY40) and process B (Lumicyano 4% vacuum-Lumicyano 4% atmospheric-BY40). The number of marks (visual and fluorescent) was counted after each treatment with a substantial increase in the number of detected marks in the second and third treatments of the process. The increased detection rate after the double Lumicyano process was unexpected and may have important implications. Trial 3 was performed to investigate whether the amount of cyanoacrylate and/or fuming time had an impact on the results observed in trial 2 whereas trial 4 assessed if the double process using conventional cyanoacrylate, rather than Lumicyano 4%, provided an increased detection rate. Trials 3 and 4 confirmed that doubling the amount of Lumicyano 4% cyanoacrylate and fuming time produced a lower detection rate than the double process with Lumicyano 4%. Furthermore, the double process with conventional cyanoacrylate did not provide any benefit. Scanning electron microscopy was also performed to investigate the morphology of the cyanoacrylate polymer under different conditions. The atmospheric/humidity process appears to be superior to the vacuum process for both the two-step and one-step cyanoacrylate fuming, although the two-step process performed better in comparison to the one-step process under vacuum conditions. Nonetheless, the use of vacuum cyanoacrylate fuming may have certain operational advantages and its use does not adversely affect subsequent cyanoacrylate fuming with atmospheric/humidity conditions. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Stability study of solution-processed zinc tin oxide thin-film transistors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Xue; Ndabakuranye, Jean Pierre; Kim, Dong Wook; Choi, Jong Sun; Park, Jaehoon

2015-11-01

In this study, the environmental dependence of the electrical stability of solution-processed n-channel zinc tin oxide (ZTO) thin-film transistors (TFTs) is reported. Under a prolonged negative gate bias stress, a negative shift in threshold voltage occurs in atmospheric air, whereas a negligible positive shift in threshold voltage occurs under vacuum. In the positive bias-stress experiments, a positive shift in threshold voltage was invariably observed both in atmospheric air and under vacuum. In this study, the negative gate-bias-stress-induced instability in atmospheric air is explained through an internal potential in the ZTO semiconductor, which can be generated owing to the interplay between H2O molecules and majority carrier electrons at the surface of the ZTO film. The positive bias-stress-induced instability is ascribed to electron-trapping phenomenon in and around the TFT channel region, which can be further augmented in the presence of air O2 molecules. These results suggest that the interaction between majority carriers and air molecules will have crucial implications for a reliable operation of solution-processed ZTO TFTs. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

The hydroxyl radical (OH) in indoor air: Sources and implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gligorovski, Sasho; Wortham, Henri; Kleffmann, Jörg

2014-12-01

Considering that people spend on average 80-90% of their life indoors, indoor air quality is of major importance for human health. In addition to specific indoor sources and entrainment from the outside atmosphere, harmful pollutants can be also formed indoors by in-situ secondary chemistry. While the first two processes have been well studied in the past, our understanding of indoor oxidation processes is still in its infancy compared to the ambient atmosphere.

Experimental Investigation of Soil and Atmospheric Conditions on the Momentum, Mass, and Thermal Boundary Layers Above the Land Atmosphere Interface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trautz, A.; Smits, K. M.; Illangasekare, T. H.; Schulte, P.

2014-12-01

The purpose of this study is to investigate the impacts of soil conditions (i.e. soil type, saturation) and atmospheric forcings (i.e. velocity, temperature, relative humidity) on the momentum, mass, and temperature boundary layers. The atmospheric conditions tested represent those typically found in semi-arid and arid climates and the soil conditions simulate the three stages of evaporation. The data generated will help identify the importance of different soil conditions and atmospheric forcings with respect to land-atmospheric interactions which will have direct implications on future numerical studies investigating the effects of turbulent air flow on evaporation. The experimental datasets generated for this study were performed using a unique climate controlled closed-circuit wind tunnel/porous media facility located at the Center for Experimental Study of Subsurface Environmental Processes (CESEP) at the Colorado School of Mines. The test apparatus consisting of a 7.3 m long porous media tank and wind tunnel, were outfitted with a sensor network to carefully measure wind velocity, air and soil temperature, relative humidity, soil moisture, and soil air pressure. Boundary layer measurements were made between the heights of 2 and 500 mm above the soil tank under constant conditions (i.e. wind velocity, temperature, relative humidity). The soil conditions (e.g. soil type, soil moisture) were varied between datasets to analyze their impact on the boundary layers. Experimental results show that the momentum boundary layer is very sensitive to the applied atmospheric conditions and soil conditions to a much less extent. Increases in velocity above porous media leads to momentum boundary layer thinning and closely reflect classical flat plate theory. The mass and thermal boundary layers are directly dependent on both atmospheric and soil conditions. Air pressure within the soil is independent of atmospheric temperature and relative humidity - wind velocity and soil moisture effects were observed. This data provides important insight into future work of accurately modeling the exchange processes associated with evaporation under various turbulent atmospheric conditions.

Planetary atmospheres and aurorae

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moos, H. W.; Encrenaz, TH.

1987-01-01

Observations of planetary atmospheres and auroras obtained by the IUE satellite observatory during the first 10 years of its operation are reviewed. Topics examined include the value of UV studies of atmospheric phenomena, the kinds of observations available prior to the launch of IUE in 1978, the composition and structure of the upper atmospheres below the homopause, the effects of the magnetosphere on the atmosphere above the homopause, excitation processes, and fundamental questions and scientific goals. Data on Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune and Uranus, and the Io plasma torus are presented in tables and graphs and briefly characterized. It is pointed out that the IUE has greatly advanced knowledge of the plantary atmospheres, despite the fact that its design was not optimized for planetary observations.

Teaching Introductory Weather and Climate Using Popular Movies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yow, Donald M.

2014-01-01

Addressing the need for an introductory atmospheric science course for nonscience majors, a course was developed that provides a general understanding of atmospheric processes by examining how meteorological events are portrayed in movies. The course also uses films to study the causes of, impacts associated with, and potential adaptations to…

Modeling Historical and Projected Future Atmospheric Nitrogen Loading to the Chesapeake Bay Watershed

EPA Science Inventory

Land use and climate change are expected to alter key processes in the Chesapeake Bay watershed and can potentially exacerbate the impact of excess nitrogen. Atmospheric sources are one of the largest loadings of nitrogen to the Chesapeake Bay watershed. In this study, we explore...

Early stage litter decomposition across biomes

Treesearch

Ika Djukic; Sebastian Kepfer-Rojas; Inger Kappel Schmidt; Klaus Steenberg Larsen; Claus Beier; Björn Berg; Kris Verheyen; Adriano Caliman; Alain Paquette; Alba Gutiérrez-Girón; Alberto Humber; Alejandro Valdecantos; Alessandro Petraglia; Heather Alexander; Algirdas Augustaitis; Amélie Saillard; Ana Carolina Ruiz Fernández; Ana I. Sousa; Ana I. Lillebø; Anderson da Rocha Gripp; André-Jean Francez; Andrea Fischer; Andreas Bohner; Andrey Malyshev; Andrijana Andrić; Andy Smith; Angela Stanisci; Anikó Seres; Anja Schmidt; Anna Avila; Anne Probst; Annie Ouin; Anzar A. Khuroo; Arne Verstraeten; Arely N. Palabral-Aguilera; Artur Stefanski; Aurora Gaxiola; Bart Muys; Bernard Bosman; Bernd Ahrends; Bill Parker; Birgit Sattler; Bo Yang; Bohdan Juráni; Brigitta Erschbamer; Carmen Eugenia Rodriguez Ortiz; Casper T. Christiansen; E. Carol Adair; Céline Meredieu; Cendrine Mony; Charles A. Nock; Chi-Ling Chen; Chiao-Ping Wang; Christel Baum; Christian Rixen; Christine Delire; Christophe Piscart; Christopher Andrews; Corinna Rebmann; Cristina Branquinho; Dana Polyanskaya; David Fuentes Delgado; Dirk Wundram; Diyaa Radeideh; Eduardo Ordóñez-Regil; Edward Crawford; Elena Preda; Elena Tropina; Elli Groner; Eric Lucot; Erzsébet Hornung; Esperança Gacia; Esther Lévesque; Evanilde Benedito; Evgeny A. Davydov; Evy Ampoorter; Fabio Padilha Bolzan; Felipe Varela; Ferdinand Kristöfel; Fernando T. Maestre; Florence Maunoury-Danger; Florian Hofhansl; Florian Kitz; Flurin Sutter; Francisco Cuesta; Francisco de Almeida Lobo; Franco Leandro de Souza; Frank Berninger; Franz Zehetner; Georg Wohlfahrt; George Vourlitis; Geovana Carreño-Rocabado; Gina Arena; Gisele Daiane Pinha; Grizelle González; Guylaine Canut; Hanna Lee; Hans Verbeeck; Harald Auge; Harald Pauli; Hassan Bismarck Nacro; Héctor A. Bahamonde; Heike Feldhaar; Heinke Jäger; Helena C. Serrano; Hélène Verheyden; Helge Bruelheide; Henning Meesenburg; Hermann Jungkunst; Hervé Jactel; Hideaki Shibata; Hiroko Kurokawa; Hugo López Rosas; Hugo L. Rojas Villalobos; Ian Yesilonis; Inara Melece; Inge Van Halder; Inmaculada García Quirós; Isaac Makelele; Issaka Senou; István Fekete; Ivan Mihal; Ivika Ostonen; Jana Borovská; Javier Roales; Jawad Shoqeir; Jean-Christophe Lata; Jean-Paul Theurillat; Jean-Luc Probst; Jess Zimmerman; Jeyanny Vijayanathan; Jianwu Tang; Jill Thompson; Jiří Doležal; Joan-Albert Sanchez-Cabeza; Joël Merlet; Joh Henschel; Johan Neirynck; Johannes Knops; John Loehr; Jonathan von Oppen; Jónína Sigríður Þorláksdóttir; Jörg Löffler; José-Gilberto Cardoso-Mohedano; José-Luis Benito-Alonso; Jose Marcelo Torezan; Joseph C. Morina; Juan J. Jiménez; Juan Dario Quinde; Juha Alatalo; Julia Seeber; Jutta Stadler; Kaie Kriiska; Kalifa Coulibaly; Karibu Fukuzawa; Katalin Szlavecz; Katarína Gerhátová; Kate Lajtha; Kathrin Käppeler; Katie A. Jennings; Katja Tielbörger; Kazuhiko Hoshizaki; Ken Green; Lambiénou Yé; Laryssa Helena Ribeiro Pazianoto; Laura Dienstbach; Laura Williams; Laura Yahdjian; Laurel M. Brigham; Liesbeth van den Brink; Lindsey Rustad; al. et

2018-01-01

Through litter decomposition enormous amounts of carbon is emitted to the atmosphere. Numerous large-scale decomposition experiments have been conducted focusing on this fundamental soil process in order to understand the controls on the terrestrial carbon transfer to the atmosphere. However, previous studies were mostly based on site-specific litter and methodologies...

Chemical kinetics on extrasolar planets.

PubMed

Moses, Julianne I

2014-04-28

Chemical kinetics plays an important role in controlling the atmospheric composition of all planetary atmospheres, including those of extrasolar planets. For the hottest exoplanets, the composition can closely follow thermochemical-equilibrium predictions, at least in the visible and infrared photosphere at dayside (eclipse) conditions. However, for atmospheric temperatures approximately <2000K, and in the uppermost atmosphere at any temperature, chemical kinetics matters. The two key mechanisms by which kinetic processes drive an exoplanet atmosphere out of equilibrium are photochemistry and transport-induced quenching. I review these disequilibrium processes in detail, discuss observational consequences and examine some of the current evidence for kinetic processes on extrasolar planets.

Measurement of the aerosol absorption coefficient with the nonequilibrium process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Liang; Li, Jingxuan; Bai, Hailong; Li, Baosheng; Liu, Shanlin; Zhang, Yang

2018-02-01

On the basis of the conventional Jamin interferometer,the improved measuring method is proposed that using a polarization type reentrant Jamin interferometer measures atmospheric aerosol absorption coefficient under the photothermal effect.The paper studies the relationship between the absorption coefficient of atmospheric aerosol particles and the refractive index change of the atmosphere.In Matlab environment, the variation curves of the output voltage of the interferometer with different concentration aerosol samples under stimulated laser irradiation were plotted.Besides, the paper also studies the relationship between aerosol concentration and the time required for the photothermal effect to reach equilibrium.When using the photothermal interferometry the results show that the time required for the photothermal effect to reach equilibrium is also increasing with the increasing concentration of aerosol particles,the absorption coefficient and time of aerosol in the process of nonequilibrium are exponentially changing.

A new one-dimensional radiative equilibrium model for investigating atmospheric radiation entropy flux.

PubMed

Wu, Wei; Liu, Yangang

2010-05-12

A new one-dimensional radiative equilibrium model is built to analytically evaluate the vertical profile of the Earth's atmospheric radiation entropy flux under the assumption that atmospheric longwave radiation emission behaves as a greybody and shortwave radiation as a diluted blackbody. Results show that both the atmospheric shortwave and net longwave radiation entropy fluxes increase with altitude, and the latter is about one order in magnitude greater than the former. The vertical profile of the atmospheric net radiation entropy flux follows approximately that of the atmospheric net longwave radiation entropy flux. Sensitivity study further reveals that a 'darker' atmosphere with a larger overall atmospheric longwave optical depth exhibits a smaller net radiation entropy flux at all altitudes, suggesting an intrinsic connection between the atmospheric net radiation entropy flux and the overall atmospheric longwave optical depth. These results indicate that the overall strength of the atmospheric irreversible processes at all altitudes as determined by the corresponding atmospheric net entropy flux is closely related to the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

Assessment of atmospheric moisture harvesting by direct cooling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gido, Ben; Friedler, Eran; Broday, David M.

2016-12-01

The enormous amount of water vapor present in the atmosphere may serve as a potential water resource. An index is proposed for assessing the feasibility and energy requirements of atmospheric moisture harvesting by a direct cooling process. A climate-based analysis of different locations reveals the global potential of this process. We demonstrate that the Moisture Harvesting Index (MHI) can be used for assessing the energy requirements of atmospheric moisture harvesting. The efficiency of atmospheric moisture harvesting is highly weather and climate dependent, with the smallest estimated energy requirement found at the tropical regions of the Philippines (0.23 kW/L). Less favorable locations have much higher energy demands for the operation of an atmospheric moisture harvesting device. In such locations, using the MHI to select the optimal operation time periods (during the day and the year) can reduce the specific energy requirements of the process dramatically. Still, using current technology the energy requirement of atmospheric moisture harvesting by a direct air cooling process is significantly higher than of desalination by reverse osmosis.

NASA/MSFC FY-83 Atmospheric Processes Research Review

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Turner, R. E. (Compiler)

1983-01-01

The atmospheric processes research program was reviewed. Research tasks sponsored by the NASA Office of Space Science and Applications, Earth Sciences and Applications Division in the areas of upper atmosphere, global weather, and mesoscale processes are discussed. The are: the research project summaries, together with the agenda and other information about the meeting.

Studies of Ionospheric Processes in the Atmosphere and the Laboratory

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-06-01

relevance to HAARP observations, and on vibrationally-excited levels of the O2 ground state [2] and the b1Σ +g excited state [3]. Synergy with the...UT [20] 29.4 (33) 260 0.94 .077 3/24/95 1737 UT 43.4 (44) 278 0.54 0.53 HAARP 62N, 145W 3/20/04 0617 UT [21] 54 (44) 290 0.33 0.54... HAARP 0.62 5.0E8 1.09E8 4.6 Studies of Ionospheric Processes in the Atmosphere and the Laboratory RTO-MP-IST-056 1 - 9 UNCLASSIFIED/UNLIMITED

Simulation chamber studies of the atmospheric degradation of xylene oxidation products

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clifford, G.; Rea, G.; Thuener, L.; Wenger, J.

2003-04-01

Aromatic compounds are emitted to the atmosphere from their use in automobile fuels and solvents. In addition to being important primary pollutants, many aromatics, including the xylenes, possess high photochemical reactivity and make a major contribution to the formation of oxidants, such as ozone and nitrates, in the troposphere. The atmospheric oxidation of aromatics produces a wide variety of products and the atmospheric reactivity of many of these species is unknown. The aim of this work was to study the atmospheric degradation processes for dimethylphenols, tolualdehydes and dicarbonyl compounds which are produced from the hydroxyl radical initiated oxidation of the xylenes. Experiments on the hydroxyl (OH) and nitrate radical initiated oxidation of dimethylphenols and tolualdehydes have been performed in a large atmospheric simulation chamber in our laboratory. The chamber is made of FEP foil and has a volume of about 4750 litres. It is equipped with gas chromatography, GC-MS, and in situ FTIR spectroscopy for chemical analysis and a scanning mobility particle sizer for aerosol measurements. Rate coefficients have been determined for the reactions of hydroxyl and nitrate radicals with dimethylphenols and tolualdehydes. Gas-phase products and the yield of secondary organic aerosol have also been determined for the OH-initiated oxidation of these compounds. Mechanisms for the formation of the products are proposed. The photolysis of the unsaturated dicarbonyls, butenedial and 4-oxo-pent-2-enal, has been studied using real sunlight at the European Photoreactor (EUPHORE) in Valencia, Spain. Photolysis rates were measured and indicate that photolysis by sunlight is the major atmospheric degradation process for these compounds. Product studies show the formation of a ketene intermediate that decays to form five membered ring compounds such as furanones and maleic anhydride. Mechanisms for the formation of the products are proposed. Finally, the data obtained in this work is used to access the atmospheric impact of xylene oxidation products and to provide valuable information on their pollution forming potential.

The Deuterium to Hydrogen Ratio in the Water that Formed the Yellowknife Bay Mudstones in Gale Crater

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mahaffy, Paul R.; Brunner, Anna E.; Webster, Chris R.; Atreya, Sushil K.; Mcadam, Amy Catherine; Stern, Jennifer Claire; Leshin, Laurie Ann; Navarro-Gonzales, Rafael; Jones, J.; Kashyap, Srishti

2014-01-01

A suite of isotope ratios of light elements in the present martian atmosphere (13C/12C, 15N/14N, 18O/16O, 38Ar/36Ar, and D/H) are all substantially enriched in the heavy element suggesting atmospheric loss to space over the past billions of years with preferential loss of the lighter isotope from each pair. In situ measurements from MSL's Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument [e.g. 1,2,3] have considerably refined previous measurements from the Viking mass spectrometers [e.g. 4], from remote spectroscopic observations [e.g. 5,6], and from martian meteorite studies [e.g. 7,8]. The persistence of habitable environments such as the ancient Yellowknife Bay lake recently revealed by measurements from the Curiosity rover [9] depends on the surface temperatures and the duration of an atmosphere thicker than that at present. Current and planned measurements from orbit with the Mars Express and MAVEN missions respectively intend to study the processes of atmospheric escape including solar wind interaction, sputtering, thermal escape, and dissociative recombination, and determine or refine the current rate of atmospheric loss caused by these and other mechanisms. The goal of these programs is to understand the physical processes sufficiently well so that robust extrapolations over the past billions of years can be made D/H is measured by both the Tunable Laser Spectrometer (TLS) and the Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer (QMS) of the SAM suite. to predict the atmospheric and surface conditions on early Mars. However, the study of the history of martian atmospheric evolution will be greatly facilitated if we are able to also directly measure the isotopic composition of volatiles captured in rocks that are representative of the ancient atmosphere. To date, D/H is one of the most promising candidates for this study since water is the most abundant volatile thermally released from the Yellowknife Bay phylosilicates discovered by the SAM and CheMin experiments of MSL and its

Formation of spectral lines in planetary atmospheres. I - Theory for cloudy atmospheres: Application to Venus.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hunt, G. E.

1972-01-01

The theory of the formation of spectral lines in a cloudy planetary atmosphere is studied in detail. It is shown that models based upon homogeneous, isotropically scattering atmospheres cannot be used to reproduce observed spectroscopic features of phase effect and the shape of spectral lines for weak and strong bands. The theory must, therefore, be developed using an inhomogeneous (gravitational) model of a planetary atmosphere, accurately incorporating all the physical processes of radiative transfer. Such a model of the lower Venus atmosphere, consistent with our present knowledge, is constructed. The results discussed in this article demonstrate the effects of the parameters that describe the atmospheric model on the spectroscopic features of spectral line profile and phase effect, at visible and near infrared wavelengths. This information enables us to develop a comprehensive theory of line formation in a Venus atmosphere.

Comparing the Degree of Land-Atmosphere Interaction in Four Atmospheric General Circulation Models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Koster, Randal D.; Dirmeyer, Paul A.; Hahmann, Andrea N.; Ijpelaar, Ruben; Tyahla, Lori; Cox, Peter; Suarez, Max J.; Houser, Paul R. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Land-atmosphere feedback, by which (for example) precipitation-induced moisture anomalies at the land surface affect the overlying atmosphere and thereby the subsequent generation of precipitation, has been examined and quantified with many atmospheric general circulation models (AGCMs). Generally missing from such studies, however, is an indication of the extent to which the simulated feedback strength is model dependent. Four modeling groups have recently performed a highly controlled numerical experiment that allows an objective inter-model comparison of land-atmosphere feedback strength. The experiment essentially consists of an ensemble of simulations in which each member simulation artificially maintains the same time series of surface prognostic variables. Differences in atmospheric behavior between the ensemble members then indicates the degree to which the state of the land surface controls atmospheric processes in that model. A comparison of the four sets of experimental results shows that feedback strength does indeed vary significantly between the AGCMs.

Monitoring and Modeling the Tibetan Plateau's climate system and its impact on East Asia.

PubMed

Ma, Yaoming; Ma, Weiqiang; Zhong, Lei; Hu, Zeyong; Li, Maoshan; Zhu, Zhikun; Han, Cunbo; Wang, Binbin; Liu, Xin

2017-03-13

The Tibetan Plateau is an important water source in Asia. As the "Third Pole" of the Earth, the Tibetan Plateau has significant dynamic and thermal effects on East Asian climate patterns, the Asian monsoon process and atmospheric circulation in the Northern Hemisphere. However, little systematic knowledge is available regarding the changing climate system of the Tibetan Plateau and the mechanisms underlying its impact on East Asia. This study was based on "water-cryosphere-atmosphere-biology" multi-sphere interactions, primarily considering global climate change in relation to the Tibetan Plateau -East Asia climate system and its mechanisms. This study also analyzed the Tibetan Plateau to clarify global climate change by considering multi-sphere energy and water processes. Additionally, the impacts of climate change in East Asia and the associated impact mechanisms were revealed, and changes in water cycle processes and water conversion mechanisms were studied. The changes in surface thermal anomalies, vegetation, local circulation and the atmospheric heat source on the Tibetan Plateau were studied, specifically, their effects on the East Asian monsoon and energy balance mechanisms. Additionally, the relationships between heating mechanisms and monsoon changes were explored.

Monitoring and Modeling the Tibetan Plateau’s climate system and its impact on East Asia

PubMed Central

Ma, Yaoming; Ma, Weiqiang; Zhong, Lei; Hu, Zeyong; Li, Maoshan; Zhu, Zhikun; Han, Cunbo; Wang, Binbin; Liu, Xin

2017-01-01

The Tibetan Plateau is an important water source in Asia. As the “Third Pole” of the Earth, the Tibetan Plateau has significant dynamic and thermal effects on East Asian climate patterns, the Asian monsoon process and atmospheric circulation in the Northern Hemisphere. However, little systematic knowledge is available regarding the changing climate system of the Tibetan Plateau and the mechanisms underlying its impact on East Asia. This study was based on “water-cryosphere-atmosphere-biology” multi-sphere interactions, primarily considering global climate change in relation to the Tibetan Plateau -East Asia climate system and its mechanisms. This study also analyzed the Tibetan Plateau to clarify global climate change by considering multi-sphere energy and water processes. Additionally, the impacts of climate change in East Asia and the associated impact mechanisms were revealed, and changes in water cycle processes and water conversion mechanisms were studied. The changes in surface thermal anomalies, vegetation, local circulation and the atmospheric heat source on the Tibetan Plateau were studied, specifically, their effects on the East Asian monsoon and energy balance mechanisms. Additionally, the relationships between heating mechanisms and monsoon changes were explored. PMID:28287648

Assimilation of Satellite-Derived Precipitation into the Regional Atmospheric Model System (RAMS): Its Impacts on the Weather and Hydrology in the Southwest United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yi, H.; Gao, X.; Sorooshian, S.

2002-05-01

As one aspect of the study of interactions between the atmosphere, vegetation, soil, and hydrology, there has been on going efforts to assimilate soil moisture data using coupled and uncoupled land surface-atmosphere hydrology models. The assimilation of soil moisture is expected to have influence due to its vital function in regulating runoff, partitioning latent and sensible heat, and through determining groundwater recharge. Soil moisture can provides long-term memory or persistence of the surface boundary condition, influencing large-scale atmospheric circulation over subsequent intervals. Now that the application of satellite remote sensing has become obvious to provide input parameters associated with land surface processes to the numerical models, this study utilizes remotely sensed precipitation data, PERSIANN (Precipitation Estimation from Remotely Sensed Information using Artificial Neural Networks) to assimilate soil moisture and other soil surface characteristics. Compared to the other earlier modeling experiments of seasonal or interannual temporal scale in continental or global spatial scale, this study investigates short term predictability in regional scale with the southwest United States as a study area, which has unique metrological and geographical features that provide special difficulties for mesoscale modeling. Research objectives are to assimilate the PERSIANN precipitation data into the mesoscale model for model initialization, examine the influence and memory of model precipitation errors on the land surface and atmospheric processes, and thereby study the short term predictability of meteorology and hydrology in the Southwest United States.

Voyager image processing at the Image Processing Laboratory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jepsen, P. L.; Mosher, J. A.; Yagi, G. M.; Avis, C. C.; Lorre, J. J.; Garneau, G. W.

1980-09-01

This paper discusses new digital processing techniques as applied to the Voyager Imaging Subsystem and devised to explore atmospheric dynamics, spectral variations, and the morphology of Jupiter, Saturn and their satellites. Radiometric and geometric decalibration processes, the modulation transfer function, and processes to determine and remove photometric properties of the atmosphere and surface of Jupiter and its satellites are examined. It is exhibited that selected images can be processed into 'approach at constant longitude' time lapse movies which are useful in observing atmospheric changes of Jupiter. Photographs are included to illustrate various image processing techniques.

Voyager image processing at the Image Processing Laboratory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jepsen, P. L.; Mosher, J. A.; Yagi, G. M.; Avis, C. C.; Lorre, J. J.; Garneau, G. W.

1980-01-01

This paper discusses new digital processing techniques as applied to the Voyager Imaging Subsystem and devised to explore atmospheric dynamics, spectral variations, and the morphology of Jupiter, Saturn and their satellites. Radiometric and geometric decalibration processes, the modulation transfer function, and processes to determine and remove photometric properties of the atmosphere and surface of Jupiter and its satellites are examined. It is exhibited that selected images can be processed into 'approach at constant longitude' time lapse movies which are useful in observing atmospheric changes of Jupiter. Photographs are included to illustrate various image processing techniques.

Using weather prediction data for simulation of mesoscale atmospheric processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bart, Andrey A.; Starchenko, Alexander V.

2015-11-01

The paper presents an approach to specify initial and boundary conditions from the output data of global model SLAV for mesoscale modelling of atmospheric processes in areas not covered by meteorological observations. From the data and the model equations for a homogeneous atmospheric boundary layer the meteorological and turbulent characteristics of the atmospheric boundary layer are calculated.

Effect of Acid on Surface Hydroxyl Groups on Kaolinite and Montmorillonite

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sihvonen, Sarah K.; Murphy, Kelly A.; Washton, Nancy M.

Mineral dust aerosol participates in heterogeneous chemistry in the atmosphere. In particular, the hydroxyl groups on the surface of aluminosilicate clay minerals are important for heterogeneous atmospheric processes. These functional groups may be altered by acidic processing during atmospheric transport. In this study, we exposed kaolinite (KGa-1b) and montmorillonite (STx-1b) to aqueous sulfuric acid and then rinsed the soluble reactants and products off in order to explore changes to functional groups on the mineral surface. To quantify the changes due to acid treatment of edge hydroxyl groups, we use 19F magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and a probemore » molecule, 3,3,3-trifluoropropyldimethylchlorosilane. We find that the edge hydroxyl groups (OH) increase in both number and density with acid treatment. Chemical reactions in the atmosphere may be impacted by the increase in OH at the mineral edge.« less

Winds from cool stars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dupree, A. K.

1995-01-01

Spectral observations of cool stars enable study of the presence and character of winds and the mass loss process in objects with effective temperatures, gravities, and atmospheric compositions which differ from that of the Sun. A wealth of recent spectroscopic measurements from the Hubble Space Telescope, and the Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer complement high resolution ground-based measures in the optical and infrared spectral regions. Such observations when combined with realistic semi-empirical atmospheric modeling allow us to estimate the physical conditions in the atmospheres and winds of many classes of cool stars. Line profiles support turbulent heating and mass motions. In low gravity stars, evidence is found for relatively fast (approximately 200 km s(exp -1)), warm winds with rapid acceleration occurring in the chromosphere. In some cases outflows commensurate with stellar escape velocities are present. Our current understanding of cool star winds will be reviewed including the implications of stellar observations for identification of atmospheric heating and acceleration processes.

Antarctic Meteorology and Climatology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

King, J. C.; Turner, J.

1997-07-01

This book is a comprehensive survey of the climatology and meteorology of Antarctica. The first section of the book reviews the methods by which we can observe the Antarctic atmosphere and presents a synthesis of climatological measurements. In the second section, the authors consider the processes that maintain the observed climate, from large-scale atmospheric circulation to small-scale processes. The final section reviews our current knowledge of the variability of Antarctic climate and the possible effects of "greenhouse" warming. The authors stress links among the Antarctic atmosphere, other elements of the Antarctic climate system (oceans, sea ice and ice sheets), and the global climate system. This volume will be of greatest interest to meteorologists and climatologists with a specialized interest in Antarctica, but it will also appeal to researchers in Antarctic glaciology, oceanography and biology. Graduates and undergraduates studying physical geography, and the earth, atmospheric and environmental sciences will find much useful background material in the book.

Water vapour correction of the daily 1 km AVHRR global land dataset: Part I validation and use of the Water Vapour input field

USGS Publications Warehouse

DeFelice, Thomas P.; Lloyd, D.; Meyer, D.J.; Baltzer, T. T.; Piraina, P.

2003-01-01

An atmospheric correction algorithm developed for the 1 km Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) global land dataset was modified to include a near real-time total column water vapour data input field to account for the natural variability of atmospheric water vapour. The real-time data input field used for this study is the Television and Infrared Observational Satellite (TIROS) Operational Vertical Sounder (TOVS) Pathfinder A global total column water vapour dataset. It was validated prior to its use in the AVHRR atmospheric correction process using two North American AVHRR scenes, namely 13 June and 28 November 1996. The validation results are consistent with those reported by others and entail a comparison between TOVS, radiosonde, experimental sounding, microwave radiometer, and data from a hand-held sunphotometer. The use of this data layer as input to the AVHRR atmospheric correction process is discussed.

Foundations of atmospheric pressure non-equilibrium plasmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bruggeman, Peter J.; Iza, Felipe; Brandenburg, Ronny

2017-12-01

Non-equilibrium plasmas have been intensively studied over the past century in the context of material processing, environmental remediation, ozone generation, excimer lamps and plasma display panels. Research on atmospheric pressure non-equilibrium plasmas intensified over the last two decades leading to a large variety of plasma sources that have been developed for an extended application range including chemical conversion, medicine, chemical analysis and disinfection. The fundamental understanding of these discharges is emerging but there remain a lot of unexplained phenomena in these intrinsically complex plasmas. The properties of non-equilibrium plasmas at atmospheric pressure span over a huge range of electron densities as well as heavy particle and electron temperatures. This paper provides an overview of the key underlying processes that are important for the generation and stabilization of atmospheric pressure non-equilibrium plasmas. The unique physical and chemical properties of theses discharges are also summarized.

Electron Driven Processes in Atmospheric Behaviour

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Campbell, L.; Brunger, M. J.; Teubner, P. J. O.

2006-11-01

Electron impact plays an important role in many atmospheric processes. Calculation of these is important for basic understanding, atmospheric modeling and remote sensing. Accurate atomic and molecular data, including electron impact cross sections, are required for such calculations. Five electron-driven processes are considered: auroral and dayglow emissions, the reduction of atmospheric electron density by vibrationally excited N2, NO production and infrared emission from NO. In most cases the predictions are compared with measurements. The dependence on experimental atomic and molecular data is also investigated.

Theoretical and experimental studies of atmospheric structure and dynamics, using high altitude chemical release, Radio meteor, and meteorological rocket network and other data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Edwards, H. D.

1976-01-01

Data collected by the Georgia Tech Radio Meteor Wind Facility during the fall and winter of 1975 are analyzed indicating a relationship between lower thermospheric circulation at mid latitudes and polar stratospheric dynamics. Techniques of measurement of mixing processes in the upper atmosphere and the interpretation of those measurements are described along with a diffusion simulation program based on the Global Reference Atmosphere program.

Interhemispheric comparison of atmospheric circulation features as evaluated from Nimbus satellite data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reiter, E. R.; Vonderhaar, T. H.; Lovill, J. E.; Adler, R.; Srivatsangam, S.; Fields, A.

1972-01-01

The report includes a complete analyses of O3 data inferred from Nimbus-3 measurements, a discussion of future areas of study, description of the regression and inversion methods developed to infer atmospheric temperature and tropopause characteristics, as well as the plan to process the satellite data for a systematic study of the relative circulation differences between Northern and Southern Hemispheres.

The Reanalysis for Stratospheric Trace-gas Studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pawson, Steven; Li, Shuhua

2002-01-01

In order to re-examine trace gas transport in the middle atmosphere for the period May 1991 until April 1995, a "reanalysis" is being performed using an up-to-date version of the DAO's "GEOS" assimilation system. The Reanalysis for Stratospheric Trace-gas Studies (ReSTS) is intended to provide state-of-the-art estimates of the atmosphere during a period when the Upper Atmospheric Research Satellite provided a high density of trace-gas observations, and when the aerosol loading from the eruption of Mount Pinatubo contaminated the lower stratosphere, at the same time performing a natural tracer transport experiment. This study will present the first results from ReSTS, focussing on the improvements over the meteorological analyses produced by the then-operational GEOS-1 data assimilation system; emphasis will be placed on the improved representations of physical processes between GEOS-1 and the current GEOS-4 systems, highlighting the transport properties of the datasets. Alongside the production of a comprehensive atmospheric dataset, important components of ReSTS include performing sensitivity studies to the formulation of the assimilation system (including the representation of physical processes in the GCM, such as feedbacks between ozone/aerosols and meteorology) and to the inclusion of additional data types (including limb-sounding temperature data alongside the TOVS observations). Impacts of some of these factors on the analyzed meteorology and transport will be discussed. Of particular interest are attempts to determine the relative importance of various steps in the assimilation process to the quality of the final analyses.

Impact of hospital atmosphere on perceived health care outcome.

PubMed

Narang, Ritu; Polsa, Pia; Soneye, Alabi; Fuxiang, Wei

2015-01-01

Healthcare service quality studies primarily examine the relationships between patients' perceived quality and satisfaction with healthcare services, clinical effectiveness, service use, recommendations and value for money. These studies suggest that patient-independent quality dimensions (structure, process and outcome) are antecedents to quality. The purpose of this paper is to propose an alternative by looking at the relationship between hospital atmosphere and healthcare quality with perceived outcome. Data were collected from Finland, India, Nigeria and the People's Republic of China. Regression analysis used perceived outcome as the dependent variable and atmosphere and healthcare service quality as independent variables. Findings - Results showed that atmosphere and healthcare service quality have a statistically significant relationship with patient perceived outcomes. The sample size was small and the sampling units were selected on convenience; thus, caution must be exercised in generalizing the findings. The study determined that service quality and atmosphere are considered significant for developing and developed nations. This result could have significant implications for policy makers and service providers developing healthcare quality and hospital atmosphere. Studies concentrate on healthcare outcome primarily regarding population health status, mortality, morbidity, customer satisfaction, loyalty, quality of life, customer behavior and consumption. However, the study exposes how patients perceive their health after treatment. Furthermore, the authors develop the healthcare service literature by considering atmosphere and perceived outcome.

Thermal decomposition of sewage sludge under N2, CO2 and air: Gas characterization and kinetic analysis.

PubMed

Hernández, Ana Belén; Okonta, Felix; Freeman, Ntuli

2017-07-01

Thermochemical valorisation processes that allow energy to be recovered from sewage sludge, such as pyrolysis and gasification, have demonstrated great potential as convenient alternatives to conventional sewage sludge disposal technologies. Moreover, these processes may benefit from CO 2 recycling. Today, the scaling up of these technologies requires an advanced knowledge of the reactivity of sewage sludge and the characteristics of the products, specific to the thermochemical process. In this study the behaviour of sewage sludge during thermochemical conversion, under different atmospheres (N 2 , CO 2 and air), was studied, using TGA-FTIR, in order to understand the effects of different atmospheric gases on the kinetics of degradation and on the gaseous products. The different steps observed during the solid degradation were related with the production of different gaseous compounds. A higher oxidative degree of the atmosphere surrounding the sample resulted in higher reaction rates and a shift of the degradation mechanisms to lower temperatures, especially for the mechanisms taking place at temperatures above 400 °C. Finally, a multiple first-order reaction model was proposed to compare the kinetic parameters obtained under different atmospheres. Overall, the highest activation energies were obtained for combustion. This work proves that CO 2 , an intermediate oxidative atmosphere between N 2 and air, results in an intermediate behaviour (intermediate peaks in the derivative thermogravimetric curves and intermediate activation energies) during the thermochemical decomposition of sewage sludge. Overall, it can be concluded that the kinetics of these different processes require a different approach for their scaling up and specific consideration of their characteristic reaction temperatures and rates should be evaluated. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An End-to-End simulator for the development of atmospheric corrections and temperature - emissivity separation algorithms in the TIR spectral domain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rock, Gilles; Fischer, Kim; Schlerf, Martin; Gerhards, Max; Udelhoven, Thomas

2017-04-01

The development and optimization of image processing algorithms requires the availability of datasets depicting every step from earth surface to the sensor's detector. The lack of ground truth data obliges to develop algorithms on simulated data. The simulation of hyperspectral remote sensing data is a useful tool for a variety of tasks such as the design of systems, the understanding of the image formation process, and the development and validation of data processing algorithms. An end-to-end simulator has been set up consisting of a forward simulator, a backward simulator and a validation module. The forward simulator derives radiance datasets based on laboratory sample spectra, applies atmospheric contributions using radiative transfer equations, and simulates the instrument response using configurable sensor models. This is followed by the backward simulation branch, consisting of an atmospheric correction (AC), a temperature and emissivity separation (TES) or a hybrid AC and TES algorithm. An independent validation module allows the comparison between input and output dataset and the benchmarking of different processing algorithms. In this study, hyperspectral thermal infrared scenes of a variety of surfaces have been simulated to analyze existing AC and TES algorithms. The ARTEMISS algorithm was optimized and benchmarked against the original implementations. The errors in TES were found to be related to incorrect water vapor retrieval. The atmospheric characterization could be optimized resulting in increasing accuracies in temperature and emissivity retrieval. Airborne datasets of different spectral resolutions were simulated from terrestrial HyperCam-LW measurements. The simulated airborne radiance spectra were subjected to atmospheric correction and TES and further used for a plant species classification study analyzing effects related to noise and mixed pixels.

Comparison of time series of integrated water vapor measured using radiosonde, GPS and microwave radiometer at the CNR-IMAA Atmospheric Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amato, Franceso; Rosoldi, Marco; Madonna, Fabio

2015-04-01

Information about the amount and spatial distribution of atmospheric water vapor is essential to improve our knowledge of weather forecasting and climate change. Water vapor is highly variable in space and time depending on the complex interplay of several phenomena like convection, precipitation, turbulence, etc. It remains one of the most poorly characterized meteorological parameters. Remarkable progress in using of Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), in particular GPS, for the monitoring of atmospheric water vapor has been achieved during the last decades. Various studies have demonstrated that GPS could provide accurate water vapor estimates for the study of the atmosphere. Different GPS data processing provided within the scientific community made use of various tropospheric models that primarily differs for the assumptions on the vertical refractivity profiles and the mapping of the vertical delay with elevation angles. This works compares several models based on the use of surface meteorological data. In order to calculate the Integrated Water Vapour (IWV), an algorithm for calculating the zenith tropospheric delay was implemented. It is based upon different mapping functions (Niell, Saastamoinen, Chao and Herring Mapping Functions). Observations are performed at the Istituto di Metodologie per l'Analisi Ambientale (IMAA) GPS station located in Tito Scalo, Potenza (40.60N, 15.72E), from July to December 2014, in the framework of OSCAR project (Observation System for Climate Application at Regional scale). The retrieved values of the IWV using the GPS are systematically compared with the other estimation of IWV collected at CIAO (CNR-IMAA Atmospheric Observatory) using the other available measurement techniques. In particular, in this work the compared IWV are retrieved from: 1. a Trimble GPS antenna (data processed by the GPS-Met network, see gpsmet.nooa.gov); 2. a Novatel GPS antenna (data locally processed using a software developed at CIAO); 3. radiosondes (processed using GRUAN processing algorithm); 4. a microwave radiometer (data processed using a retrieval based on a neural network). F. Amato, M. Rosoldi, and F. Madonna Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto di Metodologie per l'Analisi Ambientale (CNR-IMAA), Tito Scalo, Potenza, Italy Information about the amount and spatial distribution of atmospheric water vapor is essential to improve our knowledge of weather forecasting and climate change. Water vapor is highly variable in space and time depending on the complex interplay of several phenomena like convection, precipitation, turbulence, etc. It remains one of the most poorly characterized meteorological parameters. Remarkable progress in using of Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), in particular GPS, for the monitoring of atmospheric water vapor has been achieved during the last decades. Various studies have demonstrated that GPS could provide accurate water vapor estimates for the study of the atmosphere. Different GPS data processing provided within the scientific community made use of various tropospheric models that primarily differs for the assumptions on the vertical refractivity profiles and the mapping of the vertical delay with elevation angles. This works compares several models based on the use of surface meteorological data. In order to calculate the Integrated Water Vapour (IWV), an algorithm for calculating the zenith tropospheric delay was implemented. It is based upon different mapping functions (Niell, Saastamoinen, Chao and Herring Mapping Functions). Observations are performed at the Istituto di Metodologie per l'Analisi Ambientale (IMAA) GPS station located in Tito Scalo, Potenza (40.60N, 15.72E), from July to December 2014, in the framework of OSCAR project (Observation System for Climate Application at Regional scale). The retrieved values of the IWV using the GPS are systematically compared with the other estimation of IWV collected at CIAO (CNR-IMAA Atmospheric Observatory) using the other available measurement techniques. In particular, in this work the compared IWV are retrieved from: 1. a Trimble GPS antenna (data processed by the GPS-Met network, see gpsmet.nooa.gov); 2. a Novatel GPS antenna (data locally processed using a software developed at CIAO); 3. radiosondes (processed using GRUAN processing algorithm); 4. a microwave radiometer (data processed using a retrieval based on a neural network). Discrepancies between the time series will be shown and critically discussed.

Gas-phase hydration of glyoxylic acid: Kinetics and atmospheric implications.

PubMed

Liu, Ling; Zhang, Xiuhui; Li, Zesheng; Zhang, Yunhong; Ge, Maofa

2017-11-01

Oxocarboxylic acids are one of the most important organic species found in secondary organic aerosols and can be detected in diverse environments. But the hydration of oxocarboxylic acids in the atmosphere has still not been fully understood. Neglecting the hydration of oxocarboxylic acids in atmospheric models may be one of the most important reasons for the significant discrepancies between field measurements and abundance predictions of atmospheric models for oxocarboxylic acids. In the present paper, glyoxylic acid, as the most abundant oxocarboxylic acids in the atmosphere, has been selected as an example to study whether the hydration process can occur in the atmosphere and what the kinetic process of hydration is. The gas-phase hydration of glyoxylic acid to form the corresponding geminal diol and those catalyzed by atmospheric common substances (water, sulfuric acid and ammonia) have been investigated at the CCSD(T)-F12/cc-pVDZ-F12//M06-2X/6-311++G(3df,3pd) level of theory. The contour map of electron density difference of transition states have been further analyzed. It is indicated that these atmospheric common substances can all catalyze on the hydration to some extent and sulfuric acid is the most effective reducing the Gibbs free energy of activation to 9.48 kcal/mol. The effective rate constants combining the overall rate constants and concentrations of the corresponding catalysts have shown that water and sulfuric acid are both important catalysts and the catalysis of sulfuric acid is the most effective for the gas-phase hydration of glyoxylic acid. This catalyzed processes are potentially effective in coastal regions and polluted regions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Windblown Features on Venus and Geological Mapping

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Greeley, Ronald

1999-01-01

The objectives of this study were to: 1) develop a global data base of aeolian features by searching Magellan coverage for possible time-variable wind streaks, 2) analyze the data base to characterize aeolian features and processes on Venus, 3) apply the analysis to assessments of wind patterns near the surface and for comparisons with atmospheric circulation models, 4) analyze shuttle radar data acquired for aeolian features on Earth to determine their radar characteristics, and 5) conduct geological mapping of two quadrangles. Wind, or aeolian, features are observed on Venus and aeolian processes play a role in modifying its surface. Analysis of features resulting from aeolian processes provides insight into characteristics of both the atmosphere and the surface. Wind related features identified on Venus include erosional landforms (yardangs), depositional dune fields, and features resulting from the interaction of the atmosphere and crater ejecta at the time of impact. The most abundant aeolian features are various wind streaks. Their discovery on Venus afforded the opportunity to learn about the interaction of the atmosphere and surface, both for the identification of sediments and in mapping near-surface winds.

A local heat transfer analysis of lava cooling in the atmosphere: application to thermal diffusion-dominated lava flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neri, Augusto

1998-05-01

The local cooling process of thermal diffusion-dominated lava flows in the atmosphere was studied by a transient, one-dimensional heat transfer model taking into account the most relevant processes governing its behavior. Thermal diffusion-dominated lava flows include any type of flow in which the conductive-diffusive contribution in the energy equation largely overcomes the convective terms. This type of condition is supposed to be satisfied, during more or less extended periods of time, for a wide range of lava flows characterized by very low flow-rates, such as slabby and toothpaste pahoehoe, spongy pahoehoe, flow at the transition pahoehoe-aa, and flows from ephemeral vents. The analysis can be useful for the understanding of the effect of crust formation on the thermal insulation of the lava interior and, if integrated with adequate flow models, for the explanation of local features and morphologies of lava flows. The study is particularly aimed at a better knowledge of the complex non-linear heat transfer mechanisms that control lava cooling in the atmosphere and at the estimation of the most important parameters affecting the global heat transfer coefficient during the solidification process. The three fundamental heat transfer mechanisms with the atmosphere, that is radiation, natural convection, and forced convection by the wind, were modeled, whereas conduction and heat generation due to crystallization were considered within the lava. The magma was represented as a vesiculated binary melt with a given liquidus and solidus temperature and with the possible presence of a eutectic. The effects of different morphological features of the surface were investigated through a simplified description of their geometry. Model results allow both study of the formation in time of the crust and the thermal mushy layer underlying it, and a description of the behavior of the temperature distribution inside the lava as well as radiative and convective fluxes to the atmosphere. The analysis, performed by using parameters typical of Etnean lavas, particularly focuses on the non-intuitive relations between superficial cooling effects and inner temperature distribution as a function of the major variables involved in the cooling process. Results integrate recent modelings and measurements of the cooling process of Hawaiian pahoehoe flow lobes by Hon et al. (1994) and Keszthelyi and Denlinger (1996) and highlight the critical role played by surface morphology, lava thermal properties, and crystallization dynamics. Furthermore, the reported description of the various heat fluxes between lava and atmosphere can be extended to any other type of lava flows in which atmospheric cooling is involved.

Modelling atmospheric transport of persistent organic pollutants in the Northern Hemisphere with a 3-D dynamical model: DEHM-POP

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hansen, K. M.; Christensen, J. H.; Brandt, J.; Frohn, L. M.; Geels, C.

2004-03-01

The Danish Eulerian Hemispheric Model (DEHM) is a 3-D dynamical atmospheric transport model originally developed to describe the atmospheric transport of sulphur into the Arctic. A new version of the model, DEHM-POP, developed to study the atmospheric transport and environmental fate of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) is presented. During environmental cycling, POPs can be deposited and re-emitted several times before reaching a final destination. A description of the exchange processes between the land/ocean surfaces and the atmosphere is included in the model to account for this multi-hop transport. The α-isomer of the pesticide hexachlorocyclohexane (α-HCH) is used as tracer in the model development. The structure of the model and processes included are described in detail. The results from a model simulation showing the atmospheric transport for the years 1991 to 1998 are presented and evaluated against measurements. The annual averaged atmospheric concentration of α-HCH for the 1990s is well described by the model; however, the shorter-term average concentration for most of the stations is not well captured. This indicates that the present simple surface description needs to be refined to get a better description of the air-surface exchange proceses of POPs.

Risk based inspection for atmospheric storage tank

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nugroho, Agus; Haryadi, Gunawan Dwi; Ismail, Rifky; Kim, Seon Jin

2016-04-01

Corrosion is an attack that occurs on a metallic material as a result of environment's reaction.Thus, it causes atmospheric storage tank's leakage, material loss, environmental pollution, equipment failure and affects the age of process equipment then finally financial damage. Corrosion risk measurement becomesa vital part of Asset Management at the plant for operating any aging asset.This paper provides six case studies dealing with high speed diesel atmospheric storage tank parts at a power plant. A summary of the basic principles and procedures of corrosion risk analysis and RBI applicable to the Process Industries were discussed prior to the study. Semi quantitative method based onAPI 58I Base-Resource Document was employed. The risk associated with corrosion on the equipment in terms of its likelihood and its consequences were discussed. The corrosion risk analysis outcome used to formulate Risk Based Inspection (RBI) method that should be a part of the atmospheric storage tank operation at the plant. RBI gives more concern to inspection resources which are mostly on `High Risk' and `Medium Risk' criteria and less on `Low Risk' shell. Risk categories of the evaluated equipment were illustrated through case study analysis outcome.

Diurnal Variation in the Basal Emission Rate of Isoprene

Treesearch

Jennifer Funk; Clive G. Jones; Christine J. Baker; Heather M. Fuller; Christian P. Giardina; Manuel T. Lerdua

2003-01-01

Isoprene is emitted from numerous plant species and profoundly influences tropospheric chemistry. Due to the short lifetime of isoprene in the atmosphere, developing an understanding of emission patterns at small time scales is essential for modeling regional atmospheric chemistry processes. Previous studies suggest that diurnal fluctuations in isoprene emission may be...

Long-term variations in abundance and distribution of sulfuric acid vapor in the Venus atmosphere inferred from Pioneer Venus and Magellan radio occultation studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jenkins, J. M.; Steffes, P. G.

1992-01-01

Radio occultation experiments have been used to study various properties of planetary atmospheres, including pressure and temperature profiles, and the abundance profiles of absorbing constituents in those planetary atmospheres. However, the reduction of amplitude data from such experiments to determine abundance profiles requires the application of the inverse Abel transform (IAT) and numerical differentiation of experimental data. These two operations preferentially amplify measurement errors above the true signal underlying the data. A new technique for processing radio occultation data has been developed that greatly reduces the errors in the derived absorptivity and abundance profiles. This technique has been applied to datasets acquired from Pioneer Venus Orbiter radio occultation studies and more recently to experiments conducted with the Magellan spacecraft. While primarily designed for radar studies of the Venus surface, the high radiated power (EIRP) from the Magellan spacecraft makes it an ideal transmitter for measuring the refractivity and absorptivity of the Venus atmosphere by such experiments. The longevity of the Pioneer Venus Orbiter has made it possible to study long-term changes in the abundance and distribution of sulfuric acid vapor, H2SO4(g), in the Venus atmosphere between 1979 and 1992. The abundance of H2SO4(g) can be inferred from vertical profiles of 13-cm absorptivity profiles retrieved from radio occultation experiments. Data from 1979 and 1986-87 suggest that the abundance of H2SO4(g) at latitudes northward of 70 deg decreased over this time period. This change may be due to a period of active volcanism in the late 1970s followed by a relative quiescent period, or some other dynamic process in the Venus atmosphere. While the cause is not certain, such changes must be incorporated into dynamic models of the Venus atmosphere. Potentially, the Magellan spacecraft will extend the results of Pioneer Venus Orbiter and allow the continued monitoring of the abundance of distribution of H2SO4(g) in the Venus atmosphere, as well as other interesting atmospheric properties. Without such measurements it will be difficult to address other issues such as the short-term spatial variability of the abundance of H2SO4(g) at similar latitudes in Venus atmosphere, and the identities of particles responsible for large-scale variations observed in NIR images.

Microbiology and atmospheric processes: research challenges concerning the impact of airborne micro-organisms on the atmosphere and climate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morris, C. E.; Sands, D. C.; Bardin, M.; Jaenicke, R.; Vogel, B.; Leyronas, C.; Ariya, P. A.; Psenner, R.

2011-01-01

For the past 200 years, the field of aerobiology has explored the abundance, diversity, survival and transport of micro-organisms in the atmosphere. Micro-organisms have been explored as passive and severely stressed riders of atmospheric transport systems. Recently, an interest in the active roles of these micro-organisms has emerged along with proposals that the atmosphere is a global biome for microbial metabolic activity and perhaps even multiplication. As part of a series of papers on the sources, distribution and roles in atmospheric processes of biological particles in the atmosphere, here we describe the pertinence of questions relating to the potential roles that air-borne micro-organisms might play in meteorological phenomena. For the upcoming era of research on the role of air-borne micro-organisms in meteorological phenomena, one important challenge is to go beyond descriptions of abundance of micro-organisms in the atmosphere toward an understanding of their dynamics in terms of both biological and physico-chemical properties and of the relevant transport processes at different scales. Another challenge is to develop this understanding under contexts pertinent to their potential role in processes related to atmospheric chemistry, the formation of clouds, precipitation and radiative forcing. This will require truly interdisciplinary approaches involving collaborators from the biological and physical sciences, from disciplines as disparate as agronomy, microbial genetics and atmosphere physics, for example.

E-Collaboration for Earth Observation (E-CEO) with the example of Contest #3 that focuses on the Atmospheric Correction of Ocean Colour data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lavender, Samantha; Brito, Fabrice; Aas, Christina; Casu, Francesco; Ribeiro, Rita; Farres, Jordi

2014-05-01

Data challenges are becoming the new method to promote innovation within data-intensive applications; building or evolving user communities and potentially developing sustainable commercial services. These can utilise the vast amount of information (both in scope and volume) that's available online, and profits from reduced processing costs. Data Challenges are also closely related to the recent paradigm shift towards e-Science, also referred to as "data-intensive science'. The E-CEO project aims to deliver a collaborative platform that, through Data Challenge Contests, will improve the adoption and outreach of new applications and methods to processes Earth Observation (EO) data. Underneath, the backbone must be a common environment where the applications can be developed, deployed and executed. Then, the results need to be easily published in a common visualization platform for their effective validation, evaluation and transparent peer comparisons. Contest #3 is based around the atmospheric correction (AC) of ocean colour data with a particular focus on the use of auxiliary data files for processing Level 1 (Top of Atmosphere, TOA, calibrated radiances/reflectances) to Level 2 products (Bottom of Atmosphere, BOA, calibrated radiances/reflectance and derived products). Scientific researchers commonly accept the auxiliary inputs that they've been provided with and/or use the climatological data that accompanies the processing software; often because it can be difficult to obtain multiple data sources and convert them into a format the software accepts. Therefore, it's proposed to compare various ocean colour AC approaches and in the process study the uncertainties associated with using different meteorological auxiliary products for the processing of Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) i.e. the sensitivity of different atmospheric correction input assumptions.

Micrometeorologic methods for measuring the post-application volatilization of pesticides

USGS Publications Warehouse

Majewski, M.S.

1999-01-01

A wide variety of micrometeorological measurement methods can be used to estimate the postapplication volatilization of pesticides from treated fields. All these estimation methods require that the entire study area have the same surficial characteristics, including the area surrounding the actual study site, and that the pesticide under investigation be applied as quickly and as uniformly as possible before any measurements are made. Methods such as aerodynamic profile, energy balance, eddy correlation, and relaxed eddy accumulation require a large (typically 1 or more hectare) study area so that the flux measurements can be made in a well developed atmospheric boundary- layer and that steady-state conditions exist. The area surrounding the study plot should have similar surficial characteristics as the study plot with sufficient upwind extent so the wind speed and temperature gradients are fully developed. Mass balance methods such as integrated horizontal flux and trajectory simulations do not require a large source area, but the area surrounding the study plot should have similar surficial characteristics. None of the micrometeorological techniques for estimating the postapplication volatilization fluxes of pesticides disturb the environment or the soil processes that influence the gas exchange from the surface to the atmosphere. They allow for continuous measurements and provide a temporally averaged flux value over a large area. If the behavior of volatilizing pesticides and the importance of the volatilization process in redistributing pesticides in the environment are to be fully understood, it is critical that we understand not only the processes that govern pesticide entry into the lower atmosphere, but also how much of the millions of kilograms of pesticides that are applied annually are introduced into, and redistributed by, the atmosphere. We also must be aware of the assumptions and limitations of the estimation techniques used, and adapt the field of pesticide volatilization flux measurements to advances in atmospheric science.

Bacillus subtilis spore survival and expression of germination-induced bioluminescence after prolonged incubation under simulated Mars atmospheric pressure and composition: implications for planetary protection and lithopanspermia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nicholson, Wayne L.; Schuerger, Andrew C.

2005-01-01

Bacterial endospores in the genus Bacillus are considered good models for studying interplanetary transfer of microbes by natural or human processes. Although spore survival during transfer itself has been the subject of considerable study, the fate of spores in extraterrestrial environments has received less attention. In this report we subjected spores of a strain of Bacillus subtilis, containing luciferase resulting from expression of an sspB-luxAB gene fusion, to simulated martian atmospheric pressure (7-18 mbar) and composition (100% CO(2)) for up to 19 days in a Mars simulation chamber. We report here that survival was similar between spores exposed to Earth conditions and spores exposed up to 19 days to simulated martian conditions. However, germination-induced bioluminescence was lower in spores exposed to simulated martian atmosphere, which suggests sublethal impairment of some endogenous spore germination processes.

Ocean Observations with EOS/MODIS: Algorithm Development and Post Launch Studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gordon, Howard R.; Conboy, B. (Technical Monitor)

1999-01-01

Significant accomplishments made during the present reporting period include: 1) Installed spectral optimization algorithm in the SeaDas image processing environment and successfully processed SeaWiFS imagery. The results were superior to the standard SeaWiFS algorithm (the MODIS prototype) in a turbid atmosphere off the US East Coast, but similar in a clear (typical) oceanic atmosphere; 2) Inverted ACE-2 LIDAR measurements coupled with sun photometer-derived aerosol optical thickness to obtain the vertical profile of aerosol optical thickness. The profile was validated with simultaneous aircraft measurements; and 3) Obtained LIDAR and CIMEL measurements of typical maritime and mineral dust-dominated marine atmosphere in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Contemporaneous SeaWiFS imagery were also acquired.

Atmospheric measurements using the LAMP lidar during the LADIMAS campaign

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Philbrick, C. R.; Lysak, D. B.; Stevens, T. D.; Haris, P. A. T.; Rau, Y.-C.

1992-01-01

The results of the LAtitudinal DIstribution of Middle Atmosphere Structure (LADIMAS) experiment have provided a unique data set to improve our understanding of the middle atmosphere. The project included shipboard and rocket range coordinated measurements between 70 deg N to 65 deg S to study the structure, dynamics, and chemistry of the atmosphere. Results on important dynamical processes, such as gravity waves, tidal components, as well as the formation of the layers of meteoric ion and neutral species, were obtained with lidar, digisonde, microwave radiometer, and spectrometers. The cooperative study of the atmosphere was undertaken by researchers from several laboratories, including Penn State University (PSU), University Bonn, University Wuppertal, Lowell University, and others. Several of the parameters studied have never been measured before over such a wide range of latitudes. Instruments were assembled aboard the German research vessel RV POLARSTERN while this vessel was sailing from the Arctic to the Antarctic seas between 8 Oct. 1991 - 2 Jan. 1992. This paper presents an introduction to the data gathered by the PSU investigation with the Lidar Atmospheric Measurements Program (LAMP) lidar.

Atmospheric circulations required for thick high-altitude clouds and featureless transit spectra

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, H.; Wordsworth, R. D.

2017-12-01

The transmission spectra of exoplanet GJ 1214b and GJ 436b are featureless as measured by current instruments. According to the measured density of these planets, we have reason to believe these planets have atmospheres, and the spectroscopy features of the atmospheres are unexpectedly not shown in the transit spectra. An explanation is high-altitude clouds or hazes are optically thick enough to make the transit spectra flat in the current observed wavelength range. We analyze the atmospheric circulations and vertical mixing that are crucial for the possible existence of the thick high-altitude clouds. We perform a series of GCM simulations with different atmospheric compositions and planetary parameters to reveal the conditions that are required for showing featureless spectra, and study the dynamical processes. We also study the role of cloud particles with different sizes, compositions and spectral characteristics with a radiative transfer model and cloud physics models. Varying the compositions and sizes of the cloud particles results in different requirements for the atmospheric circulations.

Soil surface acidity plays a determining role in the atmospheric-terrestrial exchange of nitrous acid

PubMed Central

Donaldson, Melissa A.; Bish, David L.; Raff, Jonathan D.

2014-01-01

Nitrous acid (HONO) is an important hydroxyl (OH) radical source that is formed on both ground and aerosol surfaces in the well-mixed boundary layer. Recent studies report the release of HONO from nonacidic soils, although it is unclear how soil that is more basic than the pKa of HONO (∼3) is capable of protonating soil nitrite to serve as an atmospheric HONO source. Here, we used a coated-wall flow tube and chemical ionization mass spectrometry (CIMS) to study the pH dependence of HONO uptake onto agricultural soil and model substrates under atmospherically relevant conditions (1 atm and 30% relative humidity). Experiments measuring the evolution of HONO from pH-adjusted surfaces treated with nitrite and potentiometric titrations of the substrates show, to our knowledge for the first time, that surface acidity rather than bulk aqueous pH determines HONO uptake and desorption efficiency on soil, in a process controlled by amphoteric aluminum and iron (hydr)oxides present. The results have important implications for predicting when soil nitrite, whether microbially derived or atmospherically deposited, will act as a net source or sink of atmospheric HONO. This process represents an unrecognized mechanism of HONO release from soil that will contribute to HONO emissions throughout the day. PMID:25512517

Soil surface acidity plays a determining role in the atmospheric-terrestrial exchange of nitrous acid.

PubMed

Donaldson, Melissa A; Bish, David L; Raff, Jonathan D

2014-12-30

Nitrous acid (HONO) is an important hydroxyl (OH) radical source that is formed on both ground and aerosol surfaces in the well-mixed boundary layer. Recent studies report the release of HONO from nonacidic soils, although it is unclear how soil that is more basic than the pKa of HONO (∼ 3) is capable of protonating soil nitrite to serve as an atmospheric HONO source. Here, we used a coated-wall flow tube and chemical ionization mass spectrometry (CIMS) to study the pH dependence of HONO uptake onto agricultural soil and model substrates under atmospherically relevant conditions (1 atm and 30% relative humidity). Experiments measuring the evolution of HONO from pH-adjusted surfaces treated with nitrite and potentiometric titrations of the substrates show, to our knowledge for the first time, that surface acidity rather than bulk aqueous pH determines HONO uptake and desorption efficiency on soil, in a process controlled by amphoteric aluminum and iron (hydr)oxides present. The results have important implications for predicting when soil nitrite, whether microbially derived or atmospherically deposited, will act as a net source or sink of atmospheric HONO. This process represents an unrecognized mechanism of HONO release from soil that will contribute to HONO emissions throughout the day.

[Characteristics of mercury pollution in soil and atmosphere in Songhua River upstream Jia-pi-gou gold mining area].

PubMed

Zhang, Gang; Wang, Ning; Wang, Yuan; Liu, Te; Ai, Jian-Chao

2012-09-01

In the studied area of Jia-pi-gou at the upstream area of Songhua River, algamation process has been applied as a dominant method to extract gold for more than one hundred and eighty years, resulting in severe mercury environmental pollution. The total mercury contents in the atmosphere and soil have been determined by mercury analyzer (Zeeman RA915+) and cold atomic absorption spectrophotometry (GB/T 17136-1997), respectively. To study the pollution characteristics of mercury in the soil and atmosphere, the mercury flux at the interface between the soil and the atmosphere of 4 sampling sites Lao-jin-chang, Er-dao-gou, Er-dao-cha and community of Jia-pi-gou have been determined with the method of dynamic flux chamber. Furthermore, linear regression analyses on the total mercury contents between soil and atmosphere have been carried out and the correlation coefficient of mercury exchange flux between soil and atmosphere and meteorological factors has been studied. The results are as follows: (1) The mean value of mercury content in the atmosphere is (71.08 +/- 38.22) ng x m(-3). (2) The mean value of mercury content in the soil is (0.913 1 +/- 0.040 8) mg x kg(-1); it shows remarkably positive correlation between the mercury contents in soil and in the atmosphere. (3) The mercury exchange flux between soil and atmosphere in different locations are Lao-jin-chang [(129.13 +/- 496.07) ng (m2 x h)(-1)], Er-dao-gou [(98.64 +/- 43.96) ng x (m2 x h)(-1)], Er-dao-cha [(23.17 +/- 171.23) ng x (m2 x h)(-1)], and community of Jia-pi-gou [(7.12 +/- 46.33) ng x (m2 x h)(-1)]. (4) Solar radiation is the major influential factor in the mercury exchange flux between the soil and atmosphere in Lao-jin-chang, Er-dao-cha and community of Jia-pi-gou. Solar radiation, air temperature and soil temperature jointly influence the process of the mercury exchange flux between the soil and atmosphere in Er-dao-gou. Under the disturbance of terrain, three noticeably distinctive trend features of daily change of mercury exchange flux between the soil and atmosphere have been formed.

The anthropogenic influence on Iron deposition over the oceans: a 3-D global modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Myriokefalitakis, Stelios; Mihalopoulos, Nikos; Baker, Alex; Kanakidou, Maria

2014-05-01

Iron (Fe) deposition over oceans is directly linked to the marine biological productivity and consequently to atmospheric CO2 concentrations. Experimental and modeling results support that both inorganic (sulphate, ammonium and nitrate) and organic (e.g. oxalate) ligands can increase the Fe mobilization. Mineral dust deposition is considered as the most important supply of bioavailable Fe in the oceans. Although, due to the low soil soluble iron fractions, atmospheric processes which are also related to anthropogenic emissions, can convert iron to more soluble forms in the atmosphere. Recent studies also support that anthropogenic emissions of Fe from combustion sources also significantly contribute to the dissolved Fe atmospheric pool. The evaluation of the impact of humans on atmospheric soluble or bioavailable Fe deposition remains challenging, since Fe mobilization due to changes in anthropogenic emissions is largely uncertain. In the present study, the global atmospheric Fe cycle is parameterized in the 3-D chemical transport global model TM4-ECPL and the model is used to calculate the Fe deposition over the oceans. The model considers explicitly organic, sulfur and nitrogen gas-phase chemistry, aqueous-phase organic chemistry, including oxalate and all major aerosol constituents. TM4-ECPL simulates the organic and inorganic ligand-promoted mineral Fe dissolution and also aqueous-phase photochemical reactions between different forms of Fe (III/II). Primary emissions of Fe associated with dust and soluble Fe from combustion processes as well as atmospheric processing of the emitted Fe is taken into account in the model Sensitivity simulations are performed to study the impact of anthropogenic emissions on Fe deposition. For this preindustrial, present and future emission scenarios are used in the model in order to examine the response of chemical composition of iron-containing aerosols to environmental changes. The release of soluble iron associated with mineral dust and with the emissions of combustion aerosols is investigated. Model results are compared with available observations to evaluate their robustness. This work is supported by the ESF-NSRF ARISTEIA grant PANOPLY (Pollution Alters Natural Aerosol Composition: implications for Ocean Productivity, cLimate and air qualitY).

Development and verification of a new wind speed forecasting system using an ensemble Kalman filter data assimilation technique in a fully coupled hydrologic and atmospheric model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, John L.; Maxwell, Reed M.; Monache, Luca Delle

2013-12-01

Wind power is rapidly gaining prominence as a major source of renewable energy. Harnessing this promising energy source is challenging because of the chaotic nature of wind and its inherently intermittent nature. Accurate forecasting tools are critical to support the integration of wind energy into power grids and to maximize its impact on renewable energy portfolios. We have adapted the Data Assimilation Research Testbed (DART), a community software facility which includes the ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) algorithm, to expand our capability to use observational data to improve forecasts produced with a fully coupled hydrologic and atmospheric modeling system, the ParFlow (PF) hydrologic model and the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) mesoscale atmospheric model, coupled via mass and energy fluxes across the land surface, and resulting in the PF.WRF model. Numerous studies have shown that soil moisture distribution and land surface vegetative processes profoundly influence atmospheric boundary layer development and weather processes on local and regional scales. We have used the PF.WRF model to explore the connections between the land surface and the atmosphere in terms of land surface energy flux partitioning and coupled variable fields including hydraulic conductivity, soil moisture, and wind speed and demonstrated that reductions in uncertainty in these coupled fields realized through assimilation of soil moisture observations propagate through the hydrologic and atmospheric system. The sensitivities found in this study will enable further studies to optimize observation strategies to maximize the utility of the PF.WRF-DART forecasting system.

Surface processing and ageing behavior of silk fabrics treated with atmospheric-pressure plasma for pigment-based ink-jet printing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Chunming; Wang, Libing; Yu, Miao; Qu, Lijun; Men, Yajing; Zhang, Xiangwu

2018-03-01

Pigment inkjet printing has highlighted the advantages of cost-effective, short production cycle and environment-friendly. However, patterns directly printed with pigment inks usually have low color yields and blurry images which are caused by bleeding phenomenon. This work presents an atmospheric-pressure plasma method for improving the pigment-based ink-jet printing performance of silk fabrics. The effects of surface changes induced are discussed, with data derived from morphological study by atomic force microscopy (AFM), chemical analysis using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and contact angle measurement. Ink-jet printing experiments were conducted to study the influence of measured changes on anti-bleeding property and color strength of treated and original samples. The ageing experiment indicates that the modified silk fabrics should be printed within 24 h after plasma processing for maximum color yields. This study explores an effective approach for the atmospheric-pressure plasma, which can provide its significant use in improving the surface properties and ink-jet printing performance of fabrics.

Catalytic processes in the atmospheres of earth and Venus

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Demore, W. B.; Yung, Y. L.

1982-01-01

Photochemical processes in planetary atmospheres are strongly influenced by catalytic effects of minor constituents. Catalytic cycles in the atmospheres of Earth and Venus are closely related. For example, chlorine oxides (ClOx) act as catalysts in the two atmospheres. On earth, they serve to convert odd oxygen (atomic oxygen and ozone) to molecular oxygen. On Venus they have a similar effect, but in addition they accelerate the reactions of atomic and molecular oxygen with carbon monoxide. The latter process occurs by a unique combination of ClOx catalysis and sulful dioxide photosensitization. The mechanism provides an explanation for the very low extent of carbon dioxide decomposition by sunlight in the Venus atmosphere.

Unravelling connections between river flow and large-scale climate: experiences from Europe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hannah, D. M.; Kingston, D. G.; Lavers, D.; Stagge, J. H.; Tallaksen, L. M.

2016-12-01

The United Nations has identified better knowledge of large-scale water cycle processes as essential for socio-economic development and global water-food-energy security. In this context, and given the ever-growing concerns about climate change/ variability and human impacts on hydrology, there is an urgent research need: (a) to quantify space-time variability in regional river flow, and (b) to improve hydroclimatological understanding of climate-flow connections as a basis for identifying current and future water-related issues. In this paper, we draw together studies undertaken at the pan-European scale: (1) to evaluate current methods for assessing space-time dynamics for different streamflow metrics (annual regimes, low flows and high flows) and for linking flow variability to atmospheric drivers (circulation indices, air-masses, gridded climate fields and vapour flux); and (2) to propose a plan for future research connecting streamflow and the atmospheric conditions in Europe and elsewhere. We believe this research makes a useful, unique contribution to the literature through a systematic inter-comparison of different streamflow metrics and atmospheric descriptors. In our findings, we highlight the need to consider appropriate atmospheric descriptors (dependent on the target flow metric and region of interest) and to develop analytical techniques that best characterise connections in the ocean-atmosphere-land surface process chain. We call for the need to consider not only atmospheric interactions, but also the role of the river basin-scale terrestrial hydrological processes in modifying the climate signal response of river flows.

Decarburizing Annealing of Technical Alloy Fe - 3% Si

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lobanov, M. L.; Gomzikov, A. I.; Akulov, S. V.; Pyatygin, A. I.

2005-09-01

Results of a study illustrating the effect of temperature and moisture content in the atmosphere (5% H2 + 95% N2) on the removal of carbon and oxidation of the surface layer of technical alloy Fe - 3% Si (electrical anisotropic steel of the nitride-copper production variant) are presented. Variation of the concentration of silicon over the thickness of the surface layer is studied. The types of phases forming on the surface and their influence on the occurrence of the processes are determined. Annealing parameters (temperature and moisture content of the atmosphere) at which the processes of decarburization and oxidation are decelerated and even stopped are established.

Development of criteria used to establish a background environmental monitoring station

DOE PAGES

Fritz, Brad G.; Barnett, J. Matthew; Snyder, Sandra F.; ...

2015-03-02

It is generally considered necessary to measure concentrations of contaminants-of-concern at a background location when conducting atmospheric environmental surveillance. This is because it is recognized that measurements of background concentrations can enhance interpretation of environmental monitoring data. Despite the recognized need for background measurements, there is little published guidance available that describes how to identify an appropriate atmospheric background monitoring location. This paper develops generic criteria that can guide the decision making process for identifying suitable locations for background atmospheric monitoring station. Detailed methods for evaluating some of these criteria are also provided and a case study for establishment ofmore » an atmospheric background surveillance station as part of an environmental surveillance program is described. While the case study focuses on monitoring for radionuclides, the approach is equally valid for any airborne constituent being monitored. The case study shows that implementation of the developed criteria can result in a good, defensible choice for a background atmospheric monitoring location.« less

Initial Examination of the Long Term Thermosphere Changes As Seen in the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model - eXtended (WACCM-X) J. M. McInerney, L. Qian, and H.-L Liu

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McInerney, J. M.; Qian, L.; Liu, H.

2013-12-01

It has been over two decades since the projection that, not only will the human induced increase in atmospheric CO2 produce a warming in the troposphere, it will also produce a cooling in the middle to upper atmosphere into the 21st century with significant consequences. The thermospheric density decrease associated with this projected upper atmosphere cooling due to greenhouse gases has been confirmed by observations, in particular satellite drag measurements, and by various modeling studies. Recent studies also suggest potential impacts from the lower atmosphere on thermosphere dynamics such as atmospheric thermal tides and gravity waves. With the current advance of whole atmosphere climate models which extend from the ground through the thermosphere, it is now possible to include effects of these and other lower atmosphere processes in modeling studies of long term thermospheric changes. One such whole atmosphere model under development at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) is the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model - eXtended (WACCM-X). WACCM-X is a self consistent climate model extending from the ground to approximately 500 kilometers and is based on the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model (WACCM) / Community Atmosphere Model (CAM) component of the Community Earth System Model (CESM). Although an interactive ionosphere module is not complete, the globally averaged structure of thermosphere temperature and neutral species from WACCM-X are reasonable compared with the NCAR global mean model. In this study, we will examine a transient WACCM-X simulation from 1955 to 2005 with realistic tropospheric CO2 input and solar and geomagnetic forcing. The preliminary study will focus on the long term changes in the thermosphere from this simulation, in particular the secular changes of thermosphere neutral density and temperature due to anthropogenic forcing.

The PreViBOSS project: study the short term predictability of the visibility change during the Fog life cycle, from surface and satellite observation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elias, T.; Haeffelin, M.; Ramon, D.; Gomes, L.; Brunet, F.; Vrac, M.; Yiou, P.; Hello, G.; Petithomme, H.

2010-07-01

Fog prejudices major activities as transport and Earth observation, by critically reducing atmospheric visibility with no continuity in time and space. Fog is also an essential factor of air quality and climate as it modifies particle properties of the surface atmospheric layer. Complexity, diversity and the fine scale of processes make uncertain by current numerical weather prediction models, not only visibility diagnosis but also fog event prediction. Extensive measurements of atmospheric parameters are made on the SIRTA since 1997 to document physical processes over the atmospheric column, in the Paris suburb area, typical of an environment intermittently under oceanic influence and affected by urban and industrial pollution. The ParisFog field campaign hosted in SIRTA during 6-month in winter 2006-2007 resulted in the deployment of instrumentation specifically dedicated to study physical processes in the fog life cycle: thermodynamical, radiative, dynamical, microphysical processes. Analysis of the measurements provided a preliminary climatology of the episodes of reduced visibility, chronology of processes was delivered by examining time series of measured parameters and a closure study was performed on optical and microphysical properties of particles (aerosols to droplets) during the life cycle of a radiative fog, providing the relative contribution of several particle groups to extinction in clear-sky conditions, in haze and in fog. PreViBOSS is a 3-year project scheduled to start this year. The aim is to improve the short term prediction of changes in atmospheric visibility, at a local scale. It proposes an innovative approach: applying the Generalised Additive Model statistical method to the detailed and extended dataset acquired at SIRTA. This method offers the opportunity to explore non linear relationships between parameters, which are not yet integrated in current numerical models. Emphasis will be put on aerosols and their impact on the fog life cycle. Furthermore, the data set of ground-based measurements will be completed by spaceborne observation of visible and infra red radiance performed by the METEOSAT mission.

Planetary Radio Interferometry and Doppler Experiment (PRIDE) for Planetary Atmospheric Studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bocanegra Bahamon, Tatiana; Cimo, Giuseppe; Duev, Dmitry; Gurvits, Leonid; Molera Calves, Guifre; Pogrebenko, Sergei

2015-04-01

The Planetary Radio Interferometry and Doppler Experiment (PRIDE) is a technique that allows the determination of the radial velocity and lateral coordinates of planetary spacecraft with very high accuracy (Duev, 2012). The setup of the experiment consists of several ground stations from the European VLBI Network (EVN) located around the globe, which simultaneously perform Doppler tracking of a spacecraft carrier radio signal, and are subsequently processed in a VLBI-style in phase referencing mode. Because of the accurate examination of the changes in phase and amplitude of the radio signal propagating from the spacecraft to the multiple stations on Earth, the PRIDE technique can be used for several fields of planetary research, among which planetary atmospheric studies, gravimetry and ultra-precise celestial mechanics of planetary systems. In the study at hand the application of this technique for planetary atmospheric investigations is demonstrated. As a test case, radio occultation experiments were conducted with PRIDE having as target ESA's Venus Express, during different observing sessions with multiple ground stations in April 2012 and March 2014. Once each of the stations conducts the observation, the raw data is delivered to the correlation center at the Joint Institute for VLBI in Europe (JIVE) located in the Netherlands. The signals are processed with a high spectral resolution and phase detection software package from which Doppler observables of each station are derived. Subsequently the Doppler corrected signals are correlated to derive the VLBI observables. These two sets of observables are used for precise orbit determination. The reconstructed orbit along with the Doppler observables are used as input for the radio occultation processing software, which consists of mainly two modules, the geometrical optics module and the ray tracing inversion module, from which vertical density profiles, and subsequently, temperature and pressure profiles of Venus' atmosphere were derived. The demonstration of the capability of PRIDE as a radio science instrument for planetary atmospheric studies is developed in the framework of the upcoming ESA's JUICE mission to study Jupiter's system.

Automated Calibration of Atmospheric Oxidized Mercury Measurements.

PubMed

Lyman, Seth; Jones, Colleen; O'Neil, Trevor; Allen, Tanner; Miller, Matthieu; Gustin, Mae Sexauer; Pierce, Ashley M; Luke, Winston; Ren, Xinrong; Kelley, Paul

2016-12-06

The atmosphere is an important reservoir for mercury pollution, and understanding of oxidation processes is essential to elucidating the fate of atmospheric mercury. Several recent studies have shown that a low bias exists in a widely applied method for atmospheric oxidized mercury measurements. We developed an automated, permeation tube-based calibrator for elemental and oxidized mercury, and we integrated this calibrator with atmospheric mercury instrumentation (Tekran 2537/1130/1135 speciation systems) in Reno, Nevada and at Mauna Loa Observatory, Hawaii, U.S.A. While the calibrator has limitations, it was able to routinely inject stable amounts of HgCl 2 and HgBr 2 into atmospheric mercury measurement systems over periods of several months. In Reno, recovery of injected mercury compounds as gaseous oxidized mercury (as opposed to elemental mercury) decreased with increasing specific humidity, as has been shown in other studies, although this trend was not observed at Mauna Loa, likely due to differences in atmospheric chemistry at the two locations. Recovery of injected mercury compounds as oxidized mercury was greater in Mauna Loa than in Reno, and greater still for a cation-exchange membrane-based measurement system. These results show that routine calibration of atmospheric oxidized mercury measurements is both feasible and necessary.

Lidar Remote Sensing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McGill, Matthew J.; Starr, David OC. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

The laser radar, or lidar (for light detection and ranging) is an important tool for atmospheric studies. Lidar provides a unique and powerful method for unobtrusively profiling aerosols, wind, water vapor, temperature, and other atmospheric parameters. This brief overview of lidar remote sensing is focused on atmospheric applications involving pulsed lasers. The level of technical detail is aimed at the educated non-lidar expert and references are provided for further investigation of specific topics. The article is divided into three main sections. The first describes atmospheric scattering processes and the physics behind laser-atmosphere interactions. The second section highlights some of the primary lidar applications, with brief descriptions of each measurement capability. The third section describes the practical aspects of lidar operation, including the governing equation and operational considerations.

Emission, transport, deposition, and re-suspension of radionuclides from Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant in the atmosphere - Overview of 2-year investigations in Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kita, Kazuyuki; Igarashi, Yasuhiro; Yoshida, Naohiro; Nakajima, Teruyuki

2013-04-01

Following a huge earthquake and tsunami in Eastern Japan on 11 March, 2011, the accident in Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) occurred to emit a large amount of artificial radionuclides to the environment. Soon after the FDNPP accident, many Japanese researchers, as well as researchers in other countries, started monitoring radionuclides in various environmental fields and/or model calculations to understand extent and magnitude of radioactive pollution. In this presentation, we overview these activities for the atmospheric radionuclides in Japan as followings: 1. Investigations to evaluate radionuclide emissions by explosions at FNDPP in March 2011 and to estimate the respiration dose of the radiation at this stage. 2. Investigations to evaluate atmospheric transport and deposition processes of atmospheric radionuclide to determine the extent of radionuclide pollution. -- Based on results of the regular and urgent monitoring results, as well as the mapping of the distribution of radionuclide s accumulated by the deposition to the ground, restoration of their time-dependent emission rates has been tried, and processes determining atmospheric concentration and deposition to the ground have been investigated by using the model calculations. 3. Monitoring of the atmospheric concentrations of radionuclide after the initial, surge phase of FNDPP accident. 4. Investigations to evaluate re-suspension of radionuclide from the ground, including the soil and the vegetation. -- Intensive monitoring of the atmospheric concentrations and deposition amount of radionuclide after the initial, surge phase of the accident enable us to evaluate emission history from FNDPP, atmospheric transport and deposition processes, chemical and physical characteristics of atmospheric radionuclide especially of radio cesium, and re-suspension processes which has become dominant process to supply radio cesium to the atmosphere recently.

Impact-generated winds on Venus: Causes and effects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schultz, Pater H.

1992-01-01

The pressure of the dense atmosphere of Venus significantly changes the appearance of ejecta deposits relative to craters on the Moon and Mercury. Conversely, specific styles and sequences of ejecta emplacement can be inferred to represent different intensities of atmospheric response winds acting over different timescales. Three characteristic timescales can be inferred from the geologic record: surface scouring and impactor-controlled (angle and direction) initiation of the long fluidized run-out flows; nonballistic emplacement of inner, radar-bright ejecta facies and radar-dark outer facies; and very late reworking of surface materials. These three timescales roughly correspond to processes observed in laboratory experiments that can be scaled to conditions on Venus (with appropriate assumptions): coupling between the atmosphere and earlytime vapor/melt (target and impactor) that produces an intense shock that subsequently evolves into blast/response winds; less energetic dynamic response of the atmosphere to the outward-moving ballistic ejecta curtain that generates nonthermal turbulent eddies; and late recovery of the atmosphere to impact-generated thermal and pressure gradients expressed as low-energy but long-lived winds. These different timescales and processes can be viewed as the atmosphere equivalent of shock melting, material motion, and far-field seismic response in the target. The three processes (early Processes, Atmospheric Processes, and Late Recovery Winds) are discussed at length.

Dynamical ocean-atmospheric drivers of floods and droughts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perdigão, Rui A. P.; Hall, Julia

2014-05-01

The present study contributes to a better depiction and understanding of the "facial expression" of the Earth in terms of dynamical ocean-atmospheric processes associated to both floods and droughts. For this purpose, the study focuses on nonlinear dynamical and statistical analysis of ocean-atmospheric mechanisms contributing to hydrological extremes, broadening the analytical hydro-meteorological perspective of floods and hydrological droughts to driving mechanisms and feedbacks at the global scale. In doing so, the analysis of the climate-related causality of hydrological extremes is not limited to the synoptic situation in the region where the events take place. Rather, it goes further in the train of causality, peering into dynamical interactions between planetary-scale ocean and atmospheric processes that drive weather regimes and influence the antecedent and event conditions associated to hydrological extremes. In order to illustrate the approach, dynamical ocean-atmospheric drivers are investigated for a selection of floods and droughts. Despite occurring in different regions with different timings, common underlying mechanisms are identified for both kinds of hydrological extremes. For instance, several analysed events are seen to have resulted from a large-scale atmospheric situation consisting on standing planetary waves encircling the northern hemisphere. These correspond to wider vortices locked in phase, resulting in wider and more persistent synoptic weather patterns, i.e. with larger spatial and temporal coherence. A standing train of anticyclones and depressions thus encircled the mid and upper latitudes of the northern hemisphere. The stationary regime of planetary waves occurs when the mean eastward zonal flow decreases up to a point in which it no longer exceeds the westward phase propagation of the Rossby waves produced by the latitude-varying Coriolis effect. The ocean-atmospheric causes for this behaviour and consequences on hydrological extremes are investigated and the findings supported with spatiotemporal geostatistical analysis and nonlinear geophysical models. Overall, the study provides a three-fold contribution to the research on hydrological extremes: Firstly, it improves their physical attribution by better understanding the dynamical reasons behind the meteorological drivers. Secondly, it brings out fundamental early warning signs for potential hydrological extremes, by bringing out global ocean-atmospheric features that manifest themselves much earlier than the regional weather patterns. Thirdly, it provides tools for addressing and understanding hydrological regime changes at wider spatiotemporal scales, by providing links to planetary-scale dynamical processes that play a crucial role in multi-decadal global climate variability.

Harold S. Johnston (1920-2012)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wuebbles, Donald

2013-02-01

One of the most exceptional atmospheric chemists of the twentieth century, Harold "Hal" S. Johnston died on 20 October 2012 at the age of 92. Hal's pioneering work on atmospheric kinetics, both in laboratory and theoretical studies, greatly advanced understanding of the processes affecting ozone in the troposphere and stratosphere, especially related to the chemistry and impacts resulting from nitrogen oxides (NOx ).

Modeling coupled interactions of carbon, water, and ozone exchange between terrestrial ecosystems and the atmosphere

Treesearch

Ned Nikolova; Karl F. Zeller

2003-01-01

A new biophysical model (FORFLUX) is presented to study the simultaneous exchange of ozone, carbon dioxide, and water vapor between terrestrial ecosystems and the atmosphere. The model mechanistically couples all major processes controlling ecosystem flows trace gases and water implementing recent concepts in plant eco-physiology, micrometeorology, and soil hydrology....

Local Cloudiness Development Forecast Based on Simulation of Solid Phase Formation Processes in the Atmosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barodka, Siarhei; Kliutko, Yauhenia; Krasouski, Alexander; Papko, Iryna; Svetashev, Alexander; Turishev, Leonid

2013-04-01

Nowadays numerical simulation of thundercloud formation processes is of great interest as an actual problem from the practical point of view. Thunderclouds significantly affect airplane flights, and mesoscale weather forecast has much to contribute to facilitate the aviation forecast procedures. An accurate forecast can certainly help to avoid aviation accidents due to weather conditions. The present study focuses on modelling of the convective clouds development and thunder clouds detection on the basis of mesoscale atmospheric processes simulation, aiming at significantly improving the aeronautical forecast. In the analysis, the primary weather radar information has been used to be further adapted for mesoscale forecast systems. Two types of domains have been selected for modelling: an internal one (with radius of 8 km), and an external one (with radius of 300 km). The internal domain has been directly applied to study the local clouds development, and the external domain data has been treated as initial and final conditions for cloud cover formation. The domain height has been chosen according to the civil aviation forecast data (i.e. not exceeding 14 km). Simulations of weather conditions and local clouds development have been made within selected domains with the WRF modelling system. In several cases, thunderclouds are detected within the convective clouds. To specify the given category of clouds, we employ a simulation technique of solid phase formation processes in the atmosphere. Based on modelling results, we construct vertical profiles indicating the amount of solid phase in the atmosphere. Furthermore, we obtain profiles demonstrating the amount of ice particles and large particles (hailstones). While simulating the processes of solid phase formation, we investigate vertical and horizontal air flows. Consequently, we attempt to separate the total amount of solid phase into categories of small ice particles, large ice particles and hailstones. Also, we strive to reveal and differentiate the basic atmospheric parameters of sublimation and coagulation processes, aiming to predict ice particles precipitation. To analyze modelling results we apply the VAPOR three-dimensional visualization package. For the chosen domains, a diurnal synoptic situation has been simulated, including rain, sleet, ice pellets, and hail. As a result, we have obtained a large scope of data describing various atmospheric parameters: cloud cover, major wind components, basic levels of isobaric surfaces, and precipitation rate. Based on this data, we show both distinction in precipitation formation due to various heights and its differentiation of the ice particles. The relation between particle rise in the atmosphere and its size is analyzed: at 8-10 km altitude large ice particles, resulted from coagulation, dominate, while at 6-7 km altitude one can find snow and small ice particles formed by condensation growth. Also, mechanical trajectories of solid precipitation particles for various ice formation processes have been calculated.

A 15 year legacy of cloud and atmosphere observations in Barrow, Alaska

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shupe, M.

2012-12-01

For the past 15 years, the U.S. Department of Energy Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program has operated the North Slope of Alaska (NSA) atmospheric observatory in Barrow, Alaska. Barrow offers many valuable perspectives on the Arctic environment that complement observations at lower latitudes. Unique features of the Arctic region include cold and dry atmospheric conditions, strong annual variability in sun light, a seasonally high-reflective surface, and persistent clouds that involve mixed-phase processes. ARM's ultimate objective with its flagship observatory at the northernmost point in U.S. territory is to provide measurements that can be used to improve the understanding of these atmospheric physical and radiative properties and processes such that they can be better represented in climate models. The NSA is the most detailed and long-lasting cloud-radiation-atmosphere observatory in the Arctic, providing continuous, sophisticated measurements of climate-relevant parameters. Instrument suites include active radars and lidars at various frequencies, passive radiometers monitoring radiation in microwave, infrared, visible and ultraviolet wavelengths, meteorological towers, and sounding systems. Together these measurements are used to characterize many of the important properties of clouds, aerosols, atmospheric radiation, dynamics, thermodynamics, and the surface. The coordinated nature of these measurements offers important multi-dimensional insight into many fundamental processes linking these different elements of the climate system. Moreover, the continuous operations of the facility support these observations over the full diurnal cycle and in all seasons of the year. This presentation will highlight a number of important studies and key findings that have been facilitated by the NSA observations during the first 15 years in operation. Some of these include: a thorough documentation of clouds, their occurrence frequency, phase, microphysical properties, and impacts on surface radiation; the indirect effect of aerosols on the surface longwave radiative effects of Arctic clouds; improved measurements of low amounts of atmospheric water vapor and their impacts on atmospheric radiation; dynamical and microphysical processes that are responsible for long-lived Arctic stratiform clouds; evaluation of satellite observations in extreme and observationally-difficult regimes; and assessment of model performance for models ranging from very high resolution to climate model simulations in the Arctic. The observational legacy at Barrow continues as ARM works to expand and enhance its impact. Plans are underway to install observational capabilities at a sister location in Oliktok Point to the east of Barrow, including enhanced capabilities of tethered balloon profiling and flying unmanned aerial vehicles over the adjacent Arctic Ocean. A new set of scanning cloud and precipitation radars have recently come online at Barrow that will allow for new insights on the spatial context of measurements at Barrow, including important information on the variability of atmospheric processes associated with the coastline. And lastly, there are many opportunities for the intensive observations at Barrow to inform important regional research on permafrost and sea-ice loss, while also serving as an unmatched, long-term record for evaluating atmospheric processes in regional and global climate models.

The Interaction of Spacecraft Cabin Atmospheric Quality and Water Processing System Performance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Perry, Jay L.; Croomes, Scott D. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

Although designed to remove organic contaminants from a variety of waste water streams, the planned U.S.- and present Russian-provided water processing systems onboard the International Space Station (ISS) have capacity limits for some of the more common volatile cleaning solvents used for housekeeping purposes. Using large quantities of volatile cleaning solvents during the ground processing and in-flight operational phases of a crewed spacecraft such as the ISS can lead to significant challenges to the water processing systems. To understand the challenges facing the management of water processing capacity, the relationship between cabin atmospheric quality and humidity condensate loading is presented. This relationship is developed as a tool to determine the cabin atmospheric loading that may compromise water processing system performance. A comparison of cabin atmospheric loading with volatile cleaning solvents from ISS, Mir, and Shuttle are presented to predict acceptable limits to maintain optimal water processing system performance.

NASA/MSFC FY-85 Atmospheric Processes Research Review

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vaughan, W. W. (Compiler); Porter, F. (Compiler)

1985-01-01

The two main areas of focus for the research program are global scale processes and mesoscale processes. Geophysical fluid processes, satellite doppler lidar, satellite data analysis, atmospheric electricity, doppler lidar wind research, and mesoscale modeling are among the topics covered.

Microbiology and atmospheric processes: an upcoming era of research on bio-meteorology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morris, C. E.; Sands, D. C.; Bardin, M.; Jaenicke, R.; Vogel, B.; Leyronas, C.; Ariya, P. A.; Psenner, R.

2008-01-01

For the past 200 years, the field of aerobiology has explored the abundance, diversity, survival and transport of micro-organisms in the atmosphere. Micro-organisms have been explored as passive and severely stressed riders of atmospheric transport systems. Recently, an interest in the active roles of these micro-organisms has emerged along with proposals that the atmosphere is a global biome for microbial metabolic activity and perhaps even multiplication. As part of a series of papers on the sources, distribution and roles in atmospheric processes of biological particles in the atmosphere, here we describe the pertinence of questions relating to the potential roles that air-borne micro-organisms might play in meteorological phenomena. For the upcoming era of research on the role of air-borne micro-organisms in meteorological phenomena, one important challenge is to go beyond descriptions of abundance of micro-organisms in the atmosphere toward an understanding of their dynamics in terms of both biological and physico-chemical properties and of the relevant transport processes at different scales. Another challenge is to develop this understanding under contexts pertinent to their potential role in processes related to atmospheric chemistry, the formation of clouds, precipitation and radiative forcing. This will require truly interdisciplinary approaches involving collaborators from the biological and physical sciences, from disciplines as disparate as agronomy, microbial genetics and atmosphere physics, for example.

Evolution of atmospheric xenon and other noble gases inferred from Archean to Paleoproterozoic rocks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Avice, G.; Marty, B.; Burgess, R.; Hofmann, A.; Philippot, P.; Zahnle, K.; Zakharov, D.

2018-07-01

We have analyzed ancient atmospheric gases trapped in fluid inclusions contained in minerals of Archean (3.3 Ga) to Paleozoic (404 Ma) rocks in an attempt to document the evolution of the elemental composition and isotopic signature of the atmosphere with time. Doing so, we aimed at understanding how physical and chemical processes acted over geological time to shape the modern atmosphere. Modern atmospheric xenon is enriched in heavy isotopes by 30-40‰ u-1 relative to Solar or Chondritic xenon. Previous studies demonstrated that, 3.3 Ga ago, atmospheric xenon was isotopically fractionated (enriched in the light isotopes) relative to the modern atmosphere, by 12.9 ± 1.2 (1σ) ‰ u-1, whereas krypton was isotopically identical to modern atmospheric Kr. Details about the specific and progressive isotopic fractionation of Xe during the Archean, originally proposed by Pujol et al. (2011), are now well established by this work. Xe isotope fractionation has evolved from 21‰ u-1 at 3.5 Ga to 12.9‰ u-1 at 3.3 Ga. The current dataset provides some evidence for stabilization of the Xe fractionation between 3.3 and 2.7 Ga. However, further studies will be needed to confirm this observation. After 2.7 Ga, the composition kept evolving and reach the modern-like atmospheric Xe composition at around 2.1 Ga ago. Xenon may be the second atmospheric element, after sulfur, to show a secular isotope evolution during the Archean that ended shortly after the Archean-Proterozoic transition. Fractionation of xenon indicates that xenon escaped from Earth, probably as an ion, and that Xe escape stopped when the atmosphere became oxygen-rich. We speculate that the Xe escape was enabled by a vigorous hydrogen escape on the early anoxic Earth. Organic hazes, scavenging isotopically heavy Xe, could also have played a role in the evolution of atmospheric Xe. For 3.3 Ga-old samples, Ar-N2 correlations are consistent with a partial pressure of nitrogen (pN2) in the Archean atmosphere similar to, or lower than, the modern one, thus requiring other processes than a high pN2 to keep the Earth's surface warm despite a fainter Sun. The nitrogen isotope composition of the atmosphere at 3.3 Ga was already modern-like, attesting to inefficient nitrogen escape to space since that time.

The role of partial ionization effects in the chromosphere

PubMed Central

Martínez-Sykora, Juan; De Pontieu, Bart; Hansteen, Viggo; Carlsson, Mats

2015-01-01

The energy for the coronal heating must be provided from the convection zone. However, the amount and the method by which this energy is transferred into the corona depend on the properties of the lower atmosphere and the corona itself. We review: (i) how the energy could be built in the lower solar atmosphere, (ii) how this energy is transferred through the solar atmosphere, and (iii) how the energy is finally dissipated in the chromosphere and/or corona. Any mechanism of energy transport has to deal with the various physical processes in the lower atmosphere. We will focus on a physical process that seems to be highly important in the chromosphere and not deeply studied until recently: the ion–neutral interaction effects in the chromosphere. We review the relevance and the role of the partial ionization in the chromosphere and show that this process actually impacts considerably the outer solar atmosphere. We include analysis of our 2.5D radiative magnetohydrodynamic simulations with the Bifrost code (Gudiksen et al. 2011 Astron. Astrophys. 531, A154 (doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201116520)) including the partial ionization effects on the chromosphere and corona and thermal conduction along magnetic field lines. The photosphere, chromosphere and transition region are partially ionized and the interaction between ionized particles and neutral particles has important consequences on the magneto-thermodynamics of these layers. The partial ionization effects are treated using generalized Ohm's law, i.e. we consider the Hall term and the ambipolar diffusion (Pedersen dissipation) in the induction equation. The interaction between the different species affects the modelled atmosphere as follows: (i) the ambipolar diffusion dissipates magnetic energy and increases the minimum temperature in the chromosphere and (ii) the upper chromosphere may get heated and expanded over a greater range of heights. These processes reveal appreciable differences between the modelled atmospheres of simulations with and without ion–neutral interaction effects. PMID:25897096

Spatial Thinking in Atmospheric Science Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McNeal, P. M.; Petcovic, H. L.; Ellis, T. D.

2016-12-01

Atmospheric science is a STEM discipline that involves the visualization of three-dimensional processes from two-dimensional maps, interpretation of computer-generated graphics and hand plotting of isopleths. Thus, atmospheric science draws heavily upon spatial thinking. Research has shown that spatial thinking ability can be a predictor of early success in STEM disciplines and substantial evidence demonstrates that spatial thinking ability is improved through various interventions. Therefore, identification of the spatial thinking skills and cognitive processes used in atmospheric science is the first step toward development of instructional strategies that target these skills and scaffold the learning of students in atmospheric science courses. A pilot study of expert and novice meteorologists identified mental animation and disembedding as key spatial skills used in the interpretation of multiple weather charts and images. Using this as a starting point, we investigated how these spatial skills, together with expertise, domain specific knowledge, and working memory capacity affect the ability to produce an accurate forecast. Participants completed a meteorology concept inventory, experience questionnaire and psychometric tests of spatial thinking ability and working memory capacity prior to completing a forecasting task. A quantitative analysis of the collected data investigated the effect of the predictor variables on the outcome task. A think-aloud protocol with individual participants provided a qualitative look at processes such as task decomposition, rule-based reasoning and the formation of mental models in an attempt to understand how individuals process this complex data and describe outcomes of particular meteorological scenarios. With our preliminary results we aim to inform atmospheric science education from a cognitive science perspective. The results point to a need to collaborate with the atmospheric science community broadly, such that multiple educational pipelines are affected including university meteorology courses for majors and non-majors, military weather forecaster preparation and professional training for operational meteorologists, thus improving student learning and the continued development of the current and future workforce.

Global structure and composition of the martian atmosphere with SPICAM on Mars express

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bertaux, Jean-Loup; Korablev, O.; Fonteyn, D.; Guibert, S.; Chassefière, E.; Lefèvre, F.; Dimarellis, E.; Dubois, J. P.; Hauchecorne, A.; Cabane, M.; Rannou, P.; Levasseur-Regourd, A. C.; Cernogora, G.; Quémerais, E.; Hermans, C.; Kockarts, G.; Lippens, C.; de Maziere, M.; Moreau, D.; Muller, C.; Neefs, E.; Simon, P. C.; Forget, F.; Hourdin, F.; Talagrand, O.; Moroz, V. I.; Rodin, A.; Sandel, B.; Stern, A.

SPectroscopy for the Investigation of the Characteristics of the Atmosphere of Mars (SPICAM) Light, a light-weight (4.7 kg) UV-IR instrument to be flown on Mars Express orbiter, is dedicated to the study of the atmosphere and ionosphere of Mars. A UV spectrometer (118-320 nm, resolution 0.8 nm) is dedicated to nadir viewing, limb viewing and vertical profiling by stellar and solar occultation (3.8 kg). It addresses key issues about ozone, its coupling with H2O, aerosols, atmospheric vertical temperature structure and ionospheric studies. UV observations of the upper atmosphere will allow studies of the ionosphere through the emissions of CO, CO+, and CO2+, and its direct interaction with the solar wind. An IR spectrometer (1.0-1.7 μm, resolution 0.5-1.2 nm) is dedicated primarily to nadir measurements of H2O abundances simultaneously with ozone measured in the UV, and to vertical profiling during solar occultation of H2O, CO2, and aerosols. The SPICAM Light near-IR sensor employs a pioneering technology acousto-optical tunable filter (AOTF), leading to a compact and light design. Overall, SPICAM Light is an ideal candidate for future orbiter studies of Mars, after Mars Express, in order to study the interannual variability of martian atmospheric processes. The potential contribution to a Mars International Reference Atmosphere is clear.

A model for straight and helical solar jets: II. Parametric study of the plasma beta.

PubMed

Pariat, E; Dalmasse, K; DeVore, C R; Antiochos, S K; Karpen, J T

2016-12-01

Jets are dynamic, impulsive, well-collimated plasma events that develop at many different scales and in different layers of the solar atmosphere. Jets are believed to be induced by magnetic reconnection, a process central to many astrophysical phenomena. Within the solar atmosphere, jet-like events develop in many different environments, e.g., in the vicinity of active regions as well as in coronal holes, and at various scales, from small photospheric spicules to large coronal jets. In all these events, signatures of helical structure and/or twisting/rotating motions are regularly observed. The present study aims to establish that a single model can generally reproduce the observed properties of these jet-like events. In this study, using our state-of-the-art numerical solver ARMS, we present a parametric study of a numerical tridimensional magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) model of solar jet-like events. Within the MHD paradigm, we study the impact of varying the atmospheric plasma β on the generation and properties of solar-like jets. The parametric study validates our model of jets for plasma β ranging from 10 -3 to 1, typical of the different layers and magnetic environments of the solar atmosphere. Our model of jets can robustly explain the generation of helical solar jet-like events at various β ≤ 1. This study introduces the new original result that the plasma β modifies the morphology of the helical jet, explaining the different observed shapes of jets at different scales and in different layers of the solar atmosphere. Our results allow us to understand the energisation, triggering, and driving processes of jet-like events. Our model allows us to make predictions of the impulsiveness and energetics of jets as determined by the surrounding environment, as well as the morphological properties of the resulting jets.

Prospect of Continuous VLBI Measurement of Earth Rotation in Monitoring Geophysical Fluids

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chao, Benjamin F.; Ma, Chopo; Clark, Thomas

1998-01-01

Large-scale mass transports in the geophysical fluids of the Earth system excite Earth's rotational variations in both length-of-day and polar motion. The excitation process is via the conservation of angular momentum. Therefore Earth rotation observations contain information about the integrated angular momentum (consisting of both the mass term and the motion term) of the geophysical fluids, which include atmosphere, hydrosphere, mantle, and the outer and inner cores. Such global information is often important and otherwise unattainable depending on the nature of the mass transport, its magnitude and time scale. The last few years have seen great advances in VLBI measurement of Earth rotation in precision and temporal resolution. These advances have opened new. areas in geophysical fluid studies, such as oceanic tidal angular momentum, atmospheric tides, Earth librations, and rapid atmospheric angular momentum fluctuations. Precision of 10 microseconds in UTI and 200 microarcseconds in polar motion can now be achieved on hourly basis. Building upon this heritage, the multi-network geodetic VLBI project, Continuous Observation of the Rotation of the Earth (CORE), promises to further these studies and to make possible studies on elusive but tell-tale geophysical processes such as oscillatory modes in the core and in the atmosphere. Currently the early phase of CORE is underway. Within a few years into the new mellinnium, the upcoming space gravity missions (such as GRACE) will measure the temporal variations in Earth's gravitational field, thus providing complementary information to that from Earth rotation study for a better understanding of global geophysical fluid processes.

An assessment of the carbon balance of arctic tundra: comparisons among observations, process models, and atmospheric inversions

USGS Publications Warehouse

McGuire, A.D.; Christensen, T.R.; Hayes, D.; Heroult, A.; Euskirchen, E.; Yi, Y.; Kimball, J.S.; Koven, C.; Lafleur, P.; Miller, P.A.; Oechel, W.; Peylin, P.; Williams, M.

2012-01-01

Although arctic tundra has been estimated to cover only 8% of the global land surface, the large and potentially labile carbon pools currently stored in tundra soils have the potential for large emissions of carbon (C) under a warming climate. These emissions as radiatively active greenhouse gases in the form of both CO2 and CH4 could amplify global warming. Given the potential sensitivity of these ecosystems to climate change and the expectation that the Arctic will experience appreciable warming over the next century, it is important to assess whether responses of C exchange in tundra regions are likely to enhance or mitigate warming. In this study we compared analyses of C exchange of Arctic tundra between 1990–1999 and 2000–2006 among observations, regional and global applications of process-based terrestrial biosphere models, and atmospheric inversion models. Syntheses of the compilation of flux observations and of inversion model results indicate that the annual exchange of CO2 between arctic tundra and the atmosphere has large uncertainties that cannot be distinguished from neutral balance. The mean estimate from an ensemble of process-based model simulations suggests that arctic tundra acted as a sink for atmospheric CO2 in recent decades, but based on the uncertainty estimates it cannot be determined with confidence whether these ecosystems represent a weak or a strong sink. Tundra was 0.6 °C warmer in the 2000s compared to the 1990s. The central estimates of the observations, process-based models, and inversion models each identify stronger sinks in the 2000s compared with the 1990s. Similarly, the observations and the applications of regional process-based models suggest that CH4 emissions from arctic tundra have increased from the 1990s to 2000s. Based on our analyses of the estimates from observations, process-based models, and inversion models, we estimate that arctic tundra was a sink for atmospheric CO2 of 110 Tg C yr-1 (uncertainty between a sink of 291 Tg C yr-1 and a source of 80 Tg C yr-1) and a source of CH4 to the atmosphere of 19 Tg C yr-1 (uncertainty between sources of 8 and 29 Tg C yr-1). The suite of analyses conducted in this study indicate that it is clearly important to reduce uncertainties in the observations, process-based models, and inversions in order to better understand the degree to which Arctic tundra is influencing atmospheric CO2 and CH4 concentrations. The reduction of uncertainties can be accomplished through (1) the strategic placement of more CO2 and CH4 monitoring stations to reduce uncertainties in inversions, (2) improved observation networks of ground-based measurements of CO2 and CH4 exchange to understand exchange in response to disturbance and across gradients of hydrological variability, and (3) the effective transfer of information from enhanced observation networks into process-based models to improve the simulation of CO2 and CH4 exchange from arctic tundra to the atmosphere.

Team Learning: Collective Reflection Processes in Teacher Teams

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ohlsson, Jon

2013-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to contribute to further studies of theoretical and conceptual understanding of teachers' team learning processes, with a main focus on team work, team atmosphere, and collective reflections. Design/methodology/approach: The empirical study was designed as a multi-case study in a research and development…

NASA/MSFC FY90 Global Scale Atmospheric Processes Research Program Review

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leslie, Fred W. (Editor)

1990-01-01

Research supported by the Global Atmospheric Research Program at the Marshall Space Flight Center on atmospheric remote sensing, meteorology, numerical weather forecasting, satellite data analysis, cloud precipitation, atmospheric circulation, atmospheric models and related topics is discussed.

Theoretical and experimental studies of the atmospheric sodium layer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Richter, E. S.; Sechrist, C. F., Jr.

1978-01-01

Atmospheric atomic sodium was studied with a laser radar system. Photocount data were processed using a digital filter to obtain continuous estimates of the sodium concentration versus altitude. Wave-like structures in the sodium layer were observed, and there was evidence for the presence of a standing wave in the layer. The bottomside of the layer was observed to undulate with a period of about 2 1/2 hours, and the layer was observed to broaden through the night. A meteor ablation-cluster ion theory of sodium was developed. The theory shows good agreement with existing atmospheric observations as well as laboratory measurements of rate constants.

Solar mesosphere explorer: Experiment description

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1977-01-01

The Solar Mesosphere Explorer (SME) satellite experiments will provide a comprehensive study of atmospheric ozone and the processes which form and destroy it. Five instruments to be carried on the spacecraft will measure the ozone density and altitude distribution, monitor the incoming solar radiation, and measure other atmospheric constituents which affect ozone. The investigative approach concept, methods and procedures, preflight studies, and orbits and mission lifetime are presented. Descriptions of the instruments are also presented.

Bounding the Spacecraft Atmosphere Design Space for Future Exploration Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lange, Kevin E.; Perka, Alan T.; Duffield, Bruce E.; Jeng, Frank F.

2005-01-01

The selection of spacecraft and space suit atmospheres for future human space exploration missions will play an important, if not critical, role in the ultimate safety, productivity, and cost of such missions. Internal atmosphere pressure and composition (particularly oxygen concentration) influence many aspects of spacecraft and space suit design, operation, and technology development. Optimal atmosphere solutions must be determined by iterative process involving research, design, development, testing, and systems analysis. A necessary first step in this process is the establishment of working bounds on the atmosphere design space.

Improved carbon control in the sintering of structural PM parts

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nowotarski, M.; Gaines, G.

1981-12-01

The use of a nitrogen-methanol atmosphere and a system of control of the atmosphere in furnace zones to provide improved control of carbon in sintering of sprockets are described.A new process has been developed by the Linde Div. of Union Carbide for the sintering of structural PM parts. The process is based on a nitrogen/methanol sintering atmosphere and features superior carbon control (/plus or minus/.03%), elimination of sooting due to lubricant decomposition, and significantly reduced furnace atmosphere gas flows as compared to typical endothermic atmosphere gas consumption.

Atmospheric corrections for satellite water quality studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Piech, K. R.; Schott, J. R.

1975-01-01

Variations in the relative value of the blue and green reflectances of a lake can be correlated with important optical and biological parameters measured from surface vessels. Measurement of the relative reflectance values from color film imagery requires removal of atmospheric effects. Data processing is particularly crucial because: (1) lakes are the darkest objects in a scene; (2) minor reflectance changes can correspond to important physical changes; (3) lake systems extend over broad areas in which atmospheric conditions may fluctuate; (4) seasonal changes are of importance; and, (5) effects of weather are important, precluding flights under only ideal weather conditions. Data processing can be accomplished through microdensitometry of scene shadow areas. Measurements of reflectance ratios can be made to an accuracy of plus or minus 12%, sufficient to permit monitoring of important eutrophication indices.

Mass-independent fractionation of oxygen isotopes during H2O2 formation by gas-phase discharge from water vapour

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Velivetskaya, Tatiana A.; Ignatiev, Alexander V.; Budnitskiy, Sergey Y.; Yakovenko, Victoria V.; Vysotskiy, Sergey V.

2016-11-01

Hydrogen peroxide is an important atmospheric component involved in various gas-phase and aqueous-phase transformation processes in the Earth's atmosphere. A study of mass-independent 17O anomalies in H2O2 can provide additional insights into the chemistry of the modern atmosphere and, possibly, of the ancient atmosphere. Here, we report the results of laboratory experiments to study the fractionation of three oxygen isotopes (16O, 17O, and 18O) during H2O2 formation from products of water vapour dissociation. The experiments were carried out by passing an electrical discharge through a gaseous mixture of helium and water at atmospheric pressure. The effect of the presence of O2 in the gas mixture on the isotopic composition of H2O2 was also investigated. All of the experiments showed that H2O2 produced under two different conditions (with or without O2 added in the gas mixtures) was mass-independently fractionated (MIF). We found a positive MIF signal (∼1.4‰) in the no-O2 added experiments, and this signal increased to ∼2.5‰ once O2 was added (1.6% mixing ratio). We suggest that if O2 concentrations are very low, the hydroxyl radical recombination reaction is the dominant pathway for H2O2 formation and is the source of MIF in H2O2. Although H2O2 formation via a hydroxyl radical recombination process is limited in the modern atmosphere, it would be possible in the Archean atmosphere when O2 was a trace constituent, and H2O2 would be mass-independently fractionated. The anomalous 17O excess, which was observed in H2O2 produced by spark discharge experiments, may provide useful information about the radical chemistry of the ancient atmosphere and the role of H2O2 in maintaining and controlling the atmospheric composition.

Using an atmospheric boundary layer model to force global ocean models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abel, Rafael; Böning, Claus

2014-05-01

Current practices in the atmospheric forcing of ocean model simulations can lead to unphysical behaviours. The problem lies in the bulk formulation of the turbulent air-sea fluxes in the conjunction with a prescribed, and unresponsive, atmospheric state (as given by reanalysis products). This can have impacts both on mesoscale processes as well as on the dynamics of the large-scale circulation. First, a possible local mismatch between the given atmospheric state and evolving sea surface temperature (SST) signatures can occur, especially for mesoscale features such as frontal areas, eddies, or near the sea ice edge. Any ocean front shift or evolution of mesoscale anomalies results in excessive, unrealistic surface fluxes due to the lack of atmospheric adaptation. Second, a subtle distortion in the sensitive balance of feedback processes being critical for the thermohaline circulation. Since the bulk formulations assume an infinite atmospheric heat capacity, resulting SST anomalies are strongly damped even on basin-scales (e.g. from trends in the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation). In consequence, an important negative feedback is eliminated, rendering the system excessively susceptible to small anomalies (or errors) in the freshwater fluxes. Previous studies (Seager et al., 1995, J. Clim.) have suggested a partial forcing issue remedy that aimed for a physically more realistic determination of air-sea fluxes by allowing some (thermodynamic) adaptation of the atmospheric boundary layer to SST changes. In this study a modernized formulation of this approach (Deremble et al., 2013, Mon. Weather Rev.; 'CheapAML') is implemented in a global ocean-ice model with moderate resolution (0.5°; ORCA05). In a set of experiments we explore the solution behaviour of this forcing approach (where only the winds are prescribed, while atmospheric temperature and humidity are computed), contrasting it with the solution obtained from the classical bulk formulation with a non-responsive atmosphere.

Interannual variability of terrestrial NEP and its attributions to carbon uptake amplitude and period

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Niu, S.

2015-12-01

Earth system exhibits strong interannual variability (IAV) in the global carbon cycle as reflected in the year-to-year anomalies of the atmospheric CO2 concentration. Although various analyses suggested that land ecosystems contribute mostly to the IAV of atmospheric CO2 concentration, processes leading to the IAV in the terrestrial carbon (C) cycle are far from clear and hinder our effort in predicting the IAV of global C cycle. Previous studies on IAV of global C cycle have focused on the regulation of climatic variables in tropical or semiarid areas, but generated inconsistent conclusions. Using long-term eddy-flux measurements of net ecosystem production (NEP), atmospheric CO2 inversion NEP, and the MODIS-derived gross primary production (GPP), we demonstrate that seasonal carbon uptake amplitude (CUA) and period (CUP) are two key processes that control the IAV in the terrestrial C cycle. The two processes together explain 78% of the variations in the IAV in eddy covariance NEP, 70% in global atmospheric inversed NEP, and 53% in the IAV of GPP. Moreover, the three lines of evidence consistently show that variability in CUA is much more important than that of CUP in determining the variation of NEP at most eddy-flux sites, and most grids of global NEP and GPP. Our results suggest that the maximum carbon uptake potential in the peak-growing season is a determinant process of global C cycle internnual variability and carbon uptake period may play less important role than previous expectations. This study uncovers the most parsimonious, proximate processes underlying the IAV in global C cycle of the Earth system. Future research is needed to identify how climate factors affect the IAV in terrestrial C cycle through their influence on CUA and CUP.

Conceiving processes in atmospheric models-General equations, subscale parameterizations, and 'superparameterizations'

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gramelsberger, Gabriele

The scientific understanding of atmospheric processes has been rooted in the mechanical and physical view of nature ever since dynamic meteorology gained ground in the late 19th century. Conceiving the atmosphere as a giant 'air mass circulation engine' entails applying hydro- and thermodynamical theory to the subject in order to describe the atmosphere's behaviour on small scales. But when it comes to forecasting, it turns out that this view is far too complex to be computed. The limitation of analytical methods precludes an exact solution, forcing scientists to make use of numerical simulation. However, simulation introduces two prerequisites to meteorology: First, the partitioning of the theoretical view into two parts-the large-scale behaviour of the atmosphere, and the effects of smaller-scale processes on this large-scale behaviour, so-called parametrizations; and second, the dependency on computational power in order to achieve a higher resolution. The history of today's atmospheric circulation modelling can be reconstructed as the attempt to improve the handling of these basic constraints. It can be further seen as the old schism between theory and application under new circumstances, which triggers a new discussion about the question of how processes may be conceived in atmospheric modelling.

Seasonal-scale Observational Data Analysis and Atmospheric Phenomenology for the Cold Land Processes Experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Poulos, Gregory S.; Stamus, Peter A.; Snook, John S.

2005-01-01

The Cold Land Processes Experiment (CLPX) experiment emphasized the development of a strong synergism between process-oriented understanding, land surface models and microwave remote sensing. Our work sought to investigate which topographically- generated atmospheric phenomena are most relevant to the CLPX MSA's for the purpose of evaluating their climatic importance to net local moisture fluxes and snow transport through the use of high-resolution data assimilation/atmospheric numerical modeling techniques. Our task was to create three long-term, scientific quality atmospheric datasets for quantitative analysis (for all CLPX researchers) and provide a summary of the meteorologically-relevant phenomena of the three MSAs (see Figure) over northern Colorado. Our efforts required the ingest of a variety of CLPX datasets and the execution an atmospheric and land surface data assimilation system based on the Navier-Stokes equations (the Local Analysis and Prediction System, LAPS, and an atmospheric numerical weather prediction model, as required) at topographically- relevant grid spacing (approx. 500 m). The resulting dataset will be analyzed by the CLPX community as a part of their larger research goals to determine the relative influence of various atmospheric phenomena on processes relevant to CLPX scientific goals.

Particulate matter formation from photochemical degradation of organophosphorus pesticides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borrás, E.; Ródenas, M.; Vera, T.; Muñoz, A.

2015-12-01

Several experiments were performed in the European Photo-reactor - EUPHORE - for studying aerosol formation from organophosphorus pesticides such as diazinon, chlorpyrifos, chlorpyrifos-methyl and pirimiphos-methyl. The mass concentration yields obtained (Y) were in the range 5 - 44% for the photo-oxidation reactions in the presence and the absence of NOx. These results confirm the importance of studying pesticides as significant precursors of atmospheric particulate matter due to the serious risks associated to them. The studies based on the use of EUPHORE photoreactor provide useful data about atmospheric degradation processes of organophosphorus pesticides to the atmosphere. Knowledge of the specific degradation products, including the formation of secondary particulate matter, could complete the assessment of their potential impact, since the formation of those degradation products plays a significant role in the atmospheric chemistry, global climate change, radiative force, and are related to health effects.

Molecular characterization of primary humic-like substances in fine smoke particles by thermochemolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fan, Xingjun; Wei, Siye; Zhu, Mengbo; Song, Jianzhong; Peng, Ping'an

2018-05-01

In this study, the molecular structures of primary humic-like substances (HULIS) in fine smoke particles emitted from the combustion of biomass materials (including rice straw, corn straw, and pine branches) and coal, and atmospheric HULIS were determined by off-line tetramethylammonium hydroxide thermochemolysis coupled with gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (TMAH-GC/MS). A total of 89 pyrolysates were identified by the thermochemolysis of primary and atmospheric HULIS. The main groups were polysaccharide derivatives, N-containing compounds, lignin derivatives, aromatic acid methyl ester, aliphatic acid methyl ester, and diterpenoid derivatives. Both the type and distribution of pyrolysates among primary HULIS were comparable to those in atmospheric HULIS. This indicates that primary HULIS from combustion processes are important contributors to atmospheric HULIS. Some distinct differences were also observed. The aromatic compounds, including lignin derivatives and aromatic acid methyl ester, were the major pyrolysates (53.0%-84.9%) in all HULIS fractions, suggesting that primary HULIS significantly contributed aromatic structures to atmospheric HULIS. In addition, primary HULIS from biomass burning (BB) contained a relatively high abundance of lignin and polysaccharide derivatives, which is consistent with the large amounts of lignin and cellulose structures contained in biomass materials. Aliphatic acid methyl ester and benzyl methyl ether were prominent pyrolysates in atmospheric HULIS. Moreover, some molecular markers of specific sources were obtained from the thermochemolysis of primary and atmospheric HULIS. For example, polysaccharide derivatives, pyridine and pyrrole derivatives, and lignin derivatives can be used as tracers of fresh HULIS emitted from BB. Diterpenoid derivatives are important markers of HULIS from pine wood combustion sources. Finally, the differences in pyrolysate types and the distributions between primary and atmospheric HULIS suggested that the primary HULIS would undergo many atmospheric processes to reconstruct the macromolecular organic matter in atmospheric aerosols.

Atmospheric Electricity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aplin, Karen; Fischer, Georg

2018-02-01

Electricity occurs in atmospheres across the Solar System planets and beyond, spanning spectacular lightning displays in clouds of water or dust, to more subtle effects of charge and electric fields. On Earth, lightning is likely to have existed for a long time, based on evidence from fossilized lightning strikes in ancient rocks, but observations of planetary lightning are necessarily much more recent. The generation and observations of lightning and other atmospheric electrical processes, both from within-atmosphere measurements, and spacecraft remote sensing, can be readily studied using a comparative planetology approach, with Earth as a model. All atmospheres contain charged molecules, electrons, and/or molecular clusters created by ionization from cosmic rays and other processes, which may affect an atmosphere's energy balance both through aerosol and cloud formation, and direct absorption of radiation. Several planets are anticipated to host a "global electric circuit" by analogy with the circuit occurring on Earth, where thunderstorms drive current of ions or electrons through weakly conductive parts of the atmosphere. This current flow may further modulate an atmosphere's radiative properties through cloud and aerosol effects. Lightning could potentially have implications for life through its effects on atmospheric chemistry and particle transport. It has been observed on many of the Solar System planets (Earth, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune) and it may also be present on Venus and Mars. On Earth, Jupiter, and Saturn, lightning is thought to be generated in deep water and ice clouds, but discharges can be generated in dust, as for terrestrial volcanic lightning, and on Mars. Other, less well-understood mechanisms causing discharges in non-water clouds also seem likely. The discovery of thousands of exoplanets has recently led to a range of further exotic possibilities for atmospheric electricity, though lightning detection beyond our Solar System remains a technical challenge to be solved.

Origin of the moon - Capture by gas drag of the earth's primordial atmosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakazawa, K.; Komuro, T.; Hayashi, C.

1983-06-01

The novel lunar formation scenario proposed is an extension of planetary formation process studies suggesting that the earth originated in a gaseous solar nebula. Attention is given to a series of dynamical processes in which a low energy planetesimal is trapped within the terrestrial Hill sphere under circumstances in which the primordial atmosphere's gas density gradually decreases. An unbound planetesimal entering the Hill sphere would have had to dissipate its kinetic energy and then come into a bound orbit, before escaping from the Hill sphere, without falling onto the earth's surface. The kinetic energy dissipation condition is considered through the calculation of the solar gravity and atmospheric gas drag effects on the planetesimal's orbital motion. The result obtained shows that a low energy planetesimal of less than lunar mass can be trapped in the Hill sphere with a high probability, if it enters at those stages before atmospheric density has decreased to about 1/50th of the initial value.

Use of Unmanned Aerial Systems to Study Atmospheric Processes During Sea Ice Freeze Up

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Boer, G.; Lawrence, D.; Weibel, D.; Borenstein, S.; Bendure, A.; Solomon, A.; Intrieri, J. M.

2017-12-01

In October 2016, a team of scientists deployed to Oliktok Point, Alaska to make atmospheric measurements as part of the Evaluation of Routine Atmospheric Sounding measurements using Unmanned Systems (ERASMUS) and Inaugural Campaigns for ARM Research using Unmanned Systems (ICARUS) campaigns. The deployment included operations using the University of Colorado DataHawk2 UAS. The DataHawk2 was configured to make measurements of atmospheric thermodynamics, wind and surface temperature, providing information on lower tropospheric thermodynamic structure, turbulent surface fluxes, and surface temperature. During this campaign, the team experienced a variety of weather regimes and witnessed the development of near shore sea ice. In this presentation, we will give an overview of the measurements obtained during this time and how they were used to better understand freeze up processes in this coastal environment. Additionally, we will provide insight into how these platforms are being used for evaluation of a fully-coupled sea ice forecast model operated by NOAA's Physical Sciences Division.

Image-guided plasma therapy of cutaneous wound

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Zhiwu; Ren, Wenqi; Yu, Zelin; Zhang, Shiwu; Yue, Ting; Xu, Ronald

2014-02-01

The wound healing process involves the reparative phases of inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling. Interrupting any of these phases may result in chronically unhealed wounds, amputation, or even patient death. Despite the clinical significance in chronic wound management, no effective methods have been developed for quantitative image-guided treatment. We integrated a multimodal imaging system with a cold atmospheric plasma probe for image-guided treatment of chronic wound. Multimodal imaging system offers a non-invasive, painless, simultaneous and quantitative assessment of cutaneous wound healing. Cold atmospheric plasma accelerates the wound healing process through many mechanisms including decontamination, coagulation and stimulation of the wound healing. The therapeutic effect of cold atmospheric plasma is studied in vivo under the guidance of a multimodal imaging system. Cutaneous wounds are created on the dorsal skin of the nude mice. During the healing process, the sample wound is treated by cold atmospheric plasma at different controlled dosage, while the control wound is healed naturally. The multimodal imaging system integrating a multispectral imaging module and a laser speckle imaging module is used to collect the information of cutaneous tissue oxygenation (i.e. oxygen saturation, StO2) and blood perfusion simultaneously to assess and guide the plasma therapy. Our preliminary tests show that cold atmospheric plasma in combination with multimodal imaging guidance has the potential to facilitate the healing of chronic wounds.

The effect of dust lifting process on the electrical properties of the atmosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Esposito, Francesca; Molinaro, Roberto; Ionut Popa, Ciprian; Molfese, Cesare; Cozzolino, Fabio; Marty, Laurent; Taj-Eddine, Kamal; Di Achille, Gaetano; Silvestro, Simone; Ori, Gian Gabriele

2015-04-01

Airborne dust and aerosol particles affect climate by absorbing and scattering thermal and solar radiation and acting as condensation nuclei for the formation of clouds. So, they strongly influence the atmospheric thermal structure, balance and circulation. On Earth and Mars, this 'climate forcing' is one of the most uncertain processes in climate change predictions. Wind-driven blowing of sand and dust is also responsible for shaping planetary surfaces through the formation of sand dunes and ripples, the erosion of rocks, and the creation and transport of soil particles. These processes are not confined to Earth, but occur also on Mars, Venus and Titan. It is clear that the knowledge of the atmospheric dust properties and the mechanisms of dust settling and raising into the atmosphere are important to understand planetary climate and surface evolution. On Mars the physical processes responsible for dust injection into the atmosphere are still poorly understood, but they likely involve saltation as on Earth. Saltation is a process where large sand grains are forced by the wind to move in ballistic trajectories on the soil surface. During these hops they hit dust particles, that are well bound to the soil due to interparticle cohesive forces, thus transferring to them the momentum necessary to be entrained into the atmosphere. Recently, it has been shown that this process is also responsible to generate strong electric fields in the atmosphere up to 100-150 kV/m. This enhanced electric force acts as a feedback in the dust lifting process, lowering the threshold of the wind friction velocity u* necessary to initiate sand saltation. It is an important aspect of dust lifting process that need to be well characterized and modeled. Even if literature reports several measurements of E-fields in dust devils events, very few reports deal with atmospheric electric properties during dust storms or isolated gusts. We present here preliminary results of an intense field test campaign we performed in the West Sahara during the 2013 and 2014 dust storm seasons. We collected a statistical meaningful set of data characterizing relationship between dust lifting and atmospheric E-field that had never been achieved so far.

Impact erosion of the primordial atmosphere of Mars.

PubMed

Melosh, H J; Vickery, A M

1989-04-06

Abundant geomorphic evidence for fluvial processes on the surface of Mars suggests that during the era of heavy bombardment, Mars's atmospheric pressure was high enough for liquid water to flow on the surface. Many authors have proposed mechanisms by which Mars could have lost (or sequestered) an earlier, thicker atmosphere but none of these proposals has gained general acceptance. Here we examine the process of atmospheric erosion by impacts and show that it may account for an early episode of atmosphere loss from Mars. On the basis of this model, the primordial atmospheric pressure on Mars must have been in the vicinity of 1 bar, barring other sources or sinks of CO2. Current impact fluxes are too small to erode significantly the present martian atmosphere.

Analytical Models of Exoplanetary Atmospheres. V. Non-gray Thermal Structure with Coherent Scattering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohandas, Gopakumar; Pessah, Martin E.; Heng, Kevin

2018-05-01

We apply the picket fence treatment to model the effects brought about by spectral lines on the thermal structure of irradiated atmospheres. The lines may be due to pure absorption processes, pure coherent scattering processes, or some combination of absorption and scattering. If the lines arise as a pure absorption process, the surface layers of the atmosphere are cooler, whereas this surface cooling is completely absent if the lines are due to pure coherent isotropic scattering. The lines also lead to a warming of the deeper atmosphere. The warming of the deeper layers is, however, independent of the nature of line formation. Accounting for coherent isotropic scattering in the shortwave and longwave continuum results in anti-greenhouse cooling and greenhouse warming on an atmosphere-wide scale. The effects of coherent isotropic scattering in the line and continuum operate in tandem to determine the resulting thermal structure of the irradiated atmosphere.

Design and Demonstration of a Miniature Lidar System for Rover Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Robinson, Benjamin

2011-01-01

Public awareness of harmful human environmental effects such as global warming has increased greatly in recent years and researchers have increased their efforts in gaining more knowledge about the Earth's atmosphere. Natural and man-made processes pose threats to the environment and human life, so knowledge of all atmospheric processes is necessary. Ozone and aerosols are important factors in many atmospheric processes and active remote sensing techniques provide a way to analyze their quantity and distribution. A compact ground-based lidar system for a robotic platform meant for atmospheric aerosol measurements was designed, tested, and evaluated. The system will eventually be deployed for ozone and aerosol measurements in Mars and lunar missions to improve our knowledge and understanding of atmospheres on Mars and the Moon. Atmospheric testing was performed to test the operability of the receiver system to acquire the lidar return signal from clouds and aerosols.

Study of Eu{sup 3+} → Eu{sup 2+} reduction in BaAl{sub 2}O{sub 4}:Eu prepared in different gas atmospheres

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rezende, Marcos V. dos S., E-mail: mvsrezende@gmail.com; Valerio, Mário E.G.; Jackson, Robert A.

2015-01-15

Highlights: • The effect of different gas atmospheres on the Eu reduction process was studied. • The Eu reduction was monitored analyzing XANES region at the Eu L{sub III}-edge. • Hydrogen reducing agent are the most appropriate gas for Eu{sup 2+} stabilization. • Only a part of the Eu ions can be stabilized in the divalent state. • A model of Eu reduction process is proposed. - Abstract: The effect of different gas atmospheres such as H{sub 2}(g), synthetic air, carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen (N{sub 2}) on the Eu{sup 3+} → Eu{sup 2+} reduction process during the synthesis ofmore » Eu-doped BaAl{sub 2}O{sub 4} was studied using synchrotron radiation. The Eu{sup 3+} → Eu{sup 2+} reduction was monitored analyzing XANES region when the sample are excited at the Eu L{sub III}-edge. The results show that the hydrogen reducing agent are the most appropriate gas for Eu{sup 2+} stabilization in BaAl{sub 2}O{sub 4} and that only a part of the Eu ions can be stabilized in the divalent state. A model of Eu reduction process, based on the incorporation of charge compensation defects, is proposed.« less

Temperature Dependence of the Rate Constant for the CH3 Recombination Reaction: A Loss Process in Outer Planet Atmospheres

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cody, R. J.; Payne, W. A.; Thorn, R. P., Jr.; Romani, P. N.; Stief, L. J.; Nesbitt, F. L.; Iannone, M. A.; Tardy, D. C.

2002-01-01

The methyl free radical (CH3) has been observed in the atmospheres of Saturn and Neptune by the ISO satellite. There are discrepancies between the column densities for the CH3 radical derived from the ISO observations and the column densities derived from atmospheric photochemical models. For Neptune the model column density is 1.5 times that derived from ISO. For Saturn the model is 6 times that from ISO. The recombination of methyl radicals is the major loss process for methyl in these atmospheres. The serious disagreement between observed and calculated levels of CH3 has led to suggestions that the atmospheric models greatly underestimated the loss of CH3 due to poor knowledge of the rate of the reaction (1) CH3 + CH3 + M goes to C2H6 + M at the low temperatures and pressures of these atmospheric systems. Although the reaction CH3 + CH3 + M goes to C2H6 + M has been extensively studied both theoretically and experimentally, the laboratory conditions have been, with only a few exceptions, higher temperatures (T greater than 298K), higher pressures (P greater than or equal to 10 Torr - 13.3 mbar) or M=Ar rather than H2 or He as the bath gas.

Chemical kinetic studies of atmospheric reactions using tunable diode laser spectroscopy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Worsnop, Douglas R.; Nelson, David D.; Zahniser, Mark S.

1993-01-01

IR absorption using tunable diode laser spectroscopy provides a sensitive and quantitative detection method for laboratory kinetic studies of atmospheric trace gases. Improvements in multipass cell design, real time signal processing, and computer controlled data acquisition and analysis have extended the applicability of the technique. We have developed several optical systems using off-axis resonator mirror designs which maximize path length while minimizing both the sample volume and the interference fringes inherent in conventional 'White' cells. Computerized signal processing using rapid scan (300 kHz), sweep integration with 100 percent duty cycle allows substantial noise reduction while retaining the advantages of using direct absorption for absolute absorbance measurements and simultaneous detection of multiple species. Peak heights and areas are determined by curve fitting using nonlinear least square methods. We have applied these techniques to measurements of: (1) heterogeneous uptake chemistry of atmospheric trace gases (HCl, H2O2, and N2O5) on aqueous and sulfuric acid droplets; (2) vapor pressure measurements of nitric acid and water over prototypical stratospheric aerosol (nitric acid trihydrate) surfaces; and (3) discharge flow tube kinetic studies of the HO2 radical using isotopic labeling for product channel and mechanistic analysis. Results from each of these areas demonstrate the versatility of TDL absorption spectroscopy for atmospheric chemistry applications.

Geochemical cycles of atmospheric gases

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Walker, J. C. G.; Drever, J. I.

1988-01-01

The processes that control the atmosphere and atmospheric changes are reviewed. The geochemical cycles of water vapor, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, oxygen, and minor atmospheric constituents are examined. Changes in atmospheric chemistry with time are discussed using evidence from the rock record and analysis of the present atmosphere. The role of biological evolution in the history of the atmosphere and projected changes in the future atmosphere are considered.

Atmospheric circulation classification comparison based on wildfires in Portugal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pereira, M. G.; Trigo, R. M.

2009-04-01

Atmospheric circulation classifications are not a simple description of atmospheric states but a tool to understand and interpret the atmospheric processes and to model the relation between atmospheric circulation and surface climate and other related variables (Radan Huth et al., 2008). Classifications were initially developed with weather forecasting purposes, however with the progress in computer processing capability, new and more robust objective methods were developed and applied to large datasets prompting atmospheric circulation classification methods to one of the most important fields in synoptic and statistical climatology. Classification studies have been extensively used in climate change studies (e.g. reconstructed past climates, recent observed changes and future climates), in bioclimatological research (e.g. relating human mortality to climatic factors) and in a wide variety of synoptic climatological applications (e.g. comparison between datasets, air pollution, snow avalanches, wine quality, fish captures and forest fires). Likewise, atmospheric circulation classifications are important for the study of the role of weather in wildfire occurrence in Portugal because the daily synoptic variability is the most important driver of local weather conditions (Pereira et al., 2005). In particular, the objective classification scheme developed by Trigo and DaCamara (2000) to classify the atmospheric circulation affecting Portugal have proved to be quite useful in discriminating the occurrence and development of wildfires as well as the distribution over Portugal of surface climatic variables with impact in wildfire activity such as maximum and minimum temperature and precipitation. This work aims to present: (i) an overview the existing circulation classification for the Iberian Peninsula, and (ii) the results of a comparison study between these atmospheric circulation classifications based on its relation with wildfires and relevant meteorological variables. To achieve these objectives we consider the main classifications for Iberia developed within the framework of COST action 733 (Radan Huth et al., 2008). This European project aims to provide a wide range of atmospheric circulation classifications for Europe and sub-regions (http://www.cost733.org/) with an ambitious objective of assessing, comparing and classifying all relevant weather situations in Europe. Pereira et al. (2005) "Synoptic patterns associated with large summer forest fires in Portugal". Agricultural and Forest Meteorology,129, 11-25. Radan Huth et al. (2008) "Classifications of Atmospheric circulation patterns. Recent advances and applications". Trends and Directions in Climate Research: Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 1146: 105-152. doi: 10.1196/annals.1446.019. Trigo R.M., DaCamara C. (2000) "Circulation Weather Types and their impact on the precipitation regime in Portugal". Int J of Climatology, 20, 1559-1581.

A Useful Tool for Atmospheric Correction and Surface Temperature Estimation of Landsat Infrared Thermal Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rivalland, Vincent; Tardy, Benjamin; Huc, Mireille; Hagolle, Olivier; Marcq, Sébastien; Boulet, Gilles

2016-04-01

Land Surface temperature (LST) is a critical variable for studying the energy and water budgets at the Earth surface, and is a key component of many aspects of climate research and services. The Landsat program jointly carried out by NASA and USGS has been providing thermal infrared data for 40 years, but no associated LST product has been yet routinely proposed to community. To derive LST values, radiances measured at sensor-level need to be corrected for the atmospheric absorption, the atmospheric emission and the surface emissivity effect. Until now, existing LST products have been generated with multi channel methods such as the Temperature/Emissivity Separation (TES) adapted to ASTER data or the generalized split-window algorithm adapted to MODIS multispectral data. Those approaches are ill-adapted to the Landsat mono-window data specificity. The atmospheric correction methodology usually used for Landsat data requires detailed information about the state of the atmosphere. This information may be obtained from radio-sounding or model atmospheric reanalysis and is supplied to a radiative transfer model in order to estimate atmospheric parameters for a given coordinate. In this work, we present a new automatic tool dedicated to Landsat thermal data correction which improves the common atmospheric correction methodology by introducing the spatial dimension in the process. The python tool developed during this study, named LANDARTs for LANDsat Automatic Retrieval of surface Temperature, is fully automatic and provides atmospheric corrections for a whole Landsat tile. Vertical atmospheric conditions are downloaded from the ERA Interim dataset from ECMWF meteorological organization which provides them at 0.125 degrees resolution, at a global scale and with a 6-hour-time step. The atmospheric correction parameters are estimated on the atmospheric grid using the commercial software MODTRAN, then interpolated to 30m resolution. We detail the processing steps implemented in LANDARTs and propose a local and spatial validation of the LST products from Landsat dataset archive over two climatically contrasted zones: south-west France and centre of Tunisia. In both sites, long term datasets of in-situ surface temperature measurements have been compared to LST obtained for Landsat data processed by LANDARTs and filtered from clouds. This temporal comparison presents RMSE between 1.84K and 2.55K. Then, Landsat LST products are compared to ASTER kinetic surface temperature products on two synchronous dates from both zones. This comparison presents satisfactory RMSE about 2.55K with a good correlation coefficient of 0.9. Finally, a sensibility analysis to the spatial variation of parameters presents a variability reaching 2K at the Landsat image scale and confirms the improved accuracy in Landsat LST estimation linked to our spatial approach.

Interdisciplinary study of atmospheric processes and constituents of the mid-Atlantic coastal region. Attachment 5: Data set for background investigation of atmospheric constituents for Richmond, Virginia area. [air pollution monitoring

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kindle, E. C.; Bandy, A.; Copeland, G.; Blais, R.; Levy, G.; Sonenshine, D.; Adams, D.; Maier, G.

1975-01-01

Background data is provided for the photochemical oxident problem in the Richmond area. Particulate data, digitized portrayal of site molecular and meteorological data, and graphical portrayal of molecular data, hourly meteorological data, and streamflow charts and radiosonde data are also given.

A thermodynamically general theory for convective vortices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Renno, Nilton O.

2008-08-01

Convective vortices are common features of atmospheres that absorb lower-entropy-energy at higher temperatures than they reject higher-entropy-energy to space. These vortices range from small to large-scale and play an important role in the vertical transport of heat, momentum, and tracer species. Thus, the development of theoretical models for convective vortices is important to our understanding of some of the basic features of planetary atmospheres. The heat engine framework is a useful tool for studying convective vortices. However, current theories assume that convective vortices are reversible heat engines. Since there are questions about how reversible real atmospheric heat engines are, their usefulness for studying real atmospheric vortices is somewhat controversial. In order to reduce this problem, a theory for convective vortices that includes irreversible processes is proposed. The paper's main result is that the proposed theory provides an expression for the pressure drop along streamlines that includes the effects of irreversible processes. It is shown that a simplified version of this expression is a generalization of Bernoulli's equation to convective circulations. It is speculated that the proposed theory not only explains the intensity, but also sheds light on other basic features of convective vortices such as their physical appearance.

Tropical Convection and Climate Processes in a Cumulus Ensemble Model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sui, Chung-Hsiung

1999-01-01

Local convective-radiative equilibrium states of the tropical atmosphere are determined by the following external forcing: 1) Insolation, 2) Surface heat and moisture exchanges (primarily radiation and evaporation), 3) Heating and moistening induced by large-scale circulation. Understanding the equilibrium states of the tropical atmosphere in different external forcing conditions is of vital importance for studying cumulus parameterization, climate feedbacks, and climate changes. We extend our previous study using the Goddard Cumulus Ensemble (GCE) Model which resolves convective-radiative processes more explicitly than global climate models do. Several experiments are carried out under fixed insolation and sea surface temperature. The prescribed SST consists of a uniform warm pool (29C) surrounded by uniform cold SST (26C). The model produces "Walker"-type circulation with the ascending branch of the model atmosphere more humid than the descending part, but the vertically integrated temperature does not show a horizontal gradient. The results are compared with satellite measured moisture by SSM/I (Special Sensor Microwave/Imager) and temperature by MSU in the ascending and descending tropical atmosphere. The vertically integrated temperature and humidity in the two model regimes are comparable to the observed values in the tropics.

Electrodynamic balance-mass spectrometry of single particles as a new platform for atmospheric chemistry research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Birdsall, Adam W.; Krieger, Ulrich K.; Keutsch, Frank N.

2018-01-01

New analytical techniques are needed to improve our understanding of the intertwined physical and chemical processes that affect the composition of aerosol particles in the Earth's atmosphere, such as gas-particle partitioning and homogenous or heterogeneous chemistry, and their ultimate relation to air quality and climate. We describe a new laboratory setup that couples an electrodynamic balance (EDB) to a mass spectrometer (MS). The EDB stores a single laboratory-generated particle in an electric field under atmospheric conditions for an arbitrarily long length of time. The particle is then transferred via gas flow to an ionization region that vaporizes and ionizes the analyte molecules before MS measurement. We demonstrate the feasibility of the technique by tracking evaporation of polyethylene glycol molecules and finding agreement with a kinetic model. Fitting data to the kinetic model also allows determination of vapor pressures to within a factor of 2. This EDB-MS system can be used to study fundamental chemical and physical processes involving particles that are difficult to isolate and study with other techniques. The results of such measurements can be used to improve our understanding of atmospheric particles.

Improving wind energy forecasts using an Ensemble Kalman Filter data assimilation technique in a fully coupled hydrologic and atmospheric model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, J. L.; Maxwell, R. M.; Delle Monache, L.

2012-12-01

Wind power is rapidly gaining prominence as a major source of renewable energy. Harnessing this promising energy source is challenging because of the chaotic nature of wind and its propensity to change speed and direction over short time scales. Accurate forecasting tools are critical to support the integration of wind energy into power grids and to maximize its impact on renewable energy portfolios. Numerous studies have shown that soil moisture distribution and land surface vegetative processes profoundly influence atmospheric boundary layer development and weather processes on local and regional scales. Using the PF.WRF model, a fully-coupled hydrologic and atmospheric model employing the ParFlow hydrologic model with the Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled via mass and energy fluxes across the land surface, we have explored the connections between the land surface and the atmosphere in terms of land surface energy flux partitioning and coupled variable fields including hydraulic conductivity, soil moisture and wind speed, and demonstrated that reductions in uncertainty in these coupled fields propagate through the hydrologic and atmospheric system. We have adapted the Data Assimilation Research Testbed (DART), an implementation of the robust Ensemble Kalman Filter data assimilation algorithm, to expand our capability to nudge forecasts produced with the PF.WRF model using observational data. Using a semi-idealized simulation domain, we examine the effects of assimilating observations of variables such as wind speed and temperature collected in the atmosphere, and land surface and subsurface observations such as soil moisture on the quality of forecast outputs. The sensitivities we find in this study will enable further studies to optimize observation collection to maximize the utility of the PF.WRF-DART forecasting system.

E-CANES: A Research Network dedicated to Electromagnetic Coupling of the Atmosphere With Near-Earth Space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hanuise, C.; Blanc, E.; Crosby, N.; Ebert, U.; Mareev, E.; Neubert, T.; Rothkaehl, H.; Santolik, O.; Yair, Y.; Gille, P.

2008-12-01

Transient luminous events in the stratosphere and mesosphere, the sprites, elves, blue jets and gigantic jets, are observed above intense thunderstorms in association with particularly intense lightning discharges. Their recent discovery (1989) offers an opportunity to study the fundamental process of the electric discharge under the different conditions of the troposphere (lightning), stratosphere (blue jets) and the mesosphere (sprites) and the coupling between these regions by electric and magnetic fields. It further facilitates studies of the more general questions of thunderstorm effects on the atmosphere and the role of thunderstorms in a changing climate. New space missions will be launched in the coming years to study the various effects of thunderstorms. They will focus on transient luminous events, the generation of relativistic electron beams in discharges, and the perturbation to the atmosphere, ionosphere and magnetosphere of lightning, transient luminous events, water vapour transport and gravity waves. The missions are the French micro-satellite TARANIS, the ESA ASIM payload on board the International Space Station and the Japanese Sprite Sat mission. These highly interdisciplinary missions will result in a wealth of new data, which require knowledge based capacity building to underpin the observations with improved statistical data analysis and theoretical modelling. We are therefore establishing a global framework for research on thunderstorm processes and their effect on the atmosphere, in particular (1) the fundamental process of the electric discharge as manifested in the stratosphere and mesosphere as sprites and jets, (2) the relationship between cosmic rays, lightning discharges, transient luminous events and terrestrial gamma ray flashes, and (3) the environmental impact of the above physical processes, and thunderstorms in general, on the atmosphere and near-Earth space. The first step has been the creation of the European research group (GDRE) dubbed E-CANES (Electromagnetic Coupling of the Atmosphere with the Near-Earth Space). It complements in a synergistic way the former EU Research Training Network 'Coupling of Atmospheric Layers', the existing COST action on 'The physics of lightning flash and its effects', the ASIM Topical Team, and other programs. The main objective of E-CANES is to initiate and promote coordination activities towards a global research community on the subject. The first actions include the establishment of an organization for coordinating ground, balloon and aircraft observation campaigns, the creation of a community-wide mailing list and website, and the promotion and coordination of joint activities with other structures - to include new communities and to avoid the duplication of meetings and workshops.

Martian Dust Devil Electron Avalanche Process and Associated Electrochemistry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jackson, Telana L.; Farrell, William M.; Delory, Gregory T.; Nithianandam, Jeyasingh

2010-01-01

Mars' dynamic atmosphere displays localized dust devils and larger, global dust storms. Based on terrestrial analog studies, electrostatic modeling, and laboratory work these features will contain large electrostatic fields formed via triboelectric processes. In the low-pressure Martian atmosphere, these fields may create an electron avalanche and collisional plasma due to an increase in electron density driven by the internal electrical forces. To test the hypothesis that an electron avalanche is sustained under these conditions, a self-consistent atmospheric process model is created including electron impact ionization sources and electron losses via dust absorption, electron dissociation attachment, and electron/ion recombination. This new model is called the Dust Devil Electron Avalanche Model (DDEAM). This model solves simultaneously nine continuity equations describing the evolution of the primary gaseous chemical species involved in the electrochemistry. DDEAM monitors the evolution of the electrons and primary gas constituents, including electron/water interactions. We especially focus on electron dynamics and follow the electrons as they evolve in the E field driven collisional gas. When sources and losses are self-consistently included in the electron continuity equation, the electron density grows exponentially with increasing electric field, reaching an equilibrium that forms a sustained time-stable collisional plasma. However, the character of this plasma differs depending upon the assumed growth rate saturation process (chemical saturation versus space charge). DDEAM also shows the possibility of the loss of atmospheric methane as a function of electric field due to electron dissociative attachment of the hydrocarbon. The methane destruction rates are presented and can be included in other larger atmospheric models.

Laboratory Studies of Heterogeneous Chemical Processes of Atmospheric Importance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Molina, Mario J.

2003-01-01

The objective of this study is to conduct measurements of chemical kinetics parameters for heterogeneous reactions of importance in the stratosphere and the troposphere. It involves the elucidation of the mechanism of the interaction of HC1 vapor with ice surfaces, which is the first step in the heterogeneous chlorine activation processes, as well as the investigation of the atmospheric oxidation mechanism of soot particles emitted by biomass and fossil fuels. The techniques being employed include turbulent flow- chemical ionization mass spectrometry and optical ellipsometry, among others. The next section summarizes our research activities during the first year of the project, and the section that follows consists of the statement of work for the second year.

The Jovian Atmospheres

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Allison, Michael (Editor); Travis, Larry D. (Editor)

1986-01-01

A conference on the atmosphere of Jupiter produced papers in the areas of thermal and ortho-para hydrogen structure, clouds and chemistry, atmospheric structure, global dynamics, synoptic features and processes, atmospheric dynamics, and future spaceflight opportunities. A session on the atmospheres of Uranus and Neptune was included, and the atmosphere of Saturn was discussed in several papers.

Modeling long-term uptake and re-volatilization of semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) across the soil-atmosphere interface.

PubMed

Bao, Zhongwen; Haberer, Christina; Maier, Uli; Beckingham, Barbara; Amos, Richard T; Grathwohl, Peter

2015-12-15

Soil-atmosphere exchange is important for the environmental fate and atmospheric transport of many semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs). This study focuses on modeling the vapor phase exchange of semi-volatile hydrophobic organic pollutants between soil and the atmosphere using the multicomponent reactive transport code MIN3P. MIN3P is typically applied to simulate aqueous and vapor phase transport and reaction processes in the subsurface. We extended the code to also include an atmospheric boundary layer where eddy diffusion takes place. The relevant processes and parameters affecting soil-atmosphere exchange were investigated in several 1-D model scenarios and at various time scales (from years to centuries). Phenanthrene was chosen as a model compound, but results apply for other hydrophobic organic compounds as well. Gaseous phenanthrene was assumed to be constantly supplied to the system during a pollution period and a subsequent regulation period (with a 50% decline in the emission rate). Our results indicate that long-term soil-atmosphere exchange of phenanthrene is controlled by the soil compartment - re-volatilization thus depends on soil properties. A sensitivity analysis showed that accumulation and transport in soils in the short term is dominated by diffusion, whereas in the long term groundwater recharge and biodegradation become relevant. As expected, sorption causes retardation and slows down transport and biodegradation. If atmospheric concentration is reduced (e.g. after environmental regulations), re-volatilization from soil to the atmosphere occurs only for a relatively short time period. Therefore, the model results demonstrate that soils generally are sinks for atmospheric pollutants. The atmospheric boundary layer is only relevant for time scales of less than one month. The extended MIN3P code can also be applied to simulate fluctuating concentrations in the atmosphere, for instance due to temperature changes in the topsoil. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Influence of long-range atmospheric transport pathways and climate teleconnection patterns on the variability of surface 210Pb and 7Be concentrations in southwestern Europe.

PubMed

Grossi, C; Ballester, J; Serrano, I; Galmarini, S; Camacho, A; Curcoll, R; Morguí, J A; Rodò, X; Duch, M A

2016-12-01

The variability of the atmospheric concentration of the 7 Be and 210 Pb radionuclides is strongly linked to the origin of air masses, the strength of their sources and the processes of wet and dry deposition. It has been shown how these processes and their variability are strongly affected by climate change. Thus, a deeper knowledge of the relationship between the atmospheric radionuclides variability measured close to the ground and these atmospheric processes could help in the analysis of climate scenarios. In the present study, we analyze the atmospheric variability of a 14-year time series of 7 Be and 210 Pb in a Mediterranean coastal city using a synergy of different indicators and tools such as: the local meteorological conditions, global and regional climate indexes and a lagrangian atmospheric transport model. We particularly focus on the relationships between the main pathways of air masses and sun spots occurrence, the variability of the local relative humidity and temperature conditions, and the main modes of regional climate variability, such as the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and the Western Mediterranean Oscillation (WeMO). The variability of the observed atmospheric concentrations of both 7 Be and 210 Pb radionuclides was found to be mainly positively associated to the local climate conditions of temperature and to the pathways of air masses arriving at the station. Measured radionuclide concentrations significantly increase when air masses travel at low tropospheric levels from central Europe and the western part of the Iberian Peninsula, while low concentrations are associated with westerly air masses. We found a significant negative correlation between the WeMO index and the atmospheric variability of both radionuclides and no significant association was observed for the NAO index. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Middle Atmosphere Program. Handbook for MAP, volume 8

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sechrist, C. F., Jr. (Editor)

1983-01-01

Various investigations relative to middle atmosphere research are discussed. Atmospheric warming periods in 1982-83, atmospheric composition, the comparison of irradiance measurement calibration, and molecular absorption processes related to the penetration of ultraviolet solar radiation into the middle atmosphere, are among the topics discussed.

Effects of sintering atmosphere on the physical and mechanical properties of modified BOF slag glass

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dai, Wen-bin; Li, Yu; Cang, Da-qiang; Zhou, Yuan-yuan; Fan, Yong

2014-05-01

This study proposes an efficient way to utilize all the chemical components of the basic oxygen furnace (BOF) slag to prepare high value-added glass-ceramics. A molten modified BOF slag was converted from the melting BOF slag by reducing it and separating out iron component in it, and the modified BOF slag was then quenched in water to form glasses with different basicities. The glasses were subsequently sintered in the temperature range of 600-1000°C in air or nitrogen atmosphere for 1 h. The effects of different atmospheres on the physical and mechanical properties of sintered samples were studied by using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and by conducting experiment on evaluating the sintering shrinkage, water absorption and bulk density. It is found that the kinetics of the sintering process is significantly affected by sintering atmosphere. In particular, compared with sintering in air atmosphere, sintering in N2 atmosphere promotes the synergistic growth of pyroxene and melilite crystalline phases, which can contribute to better mechanical properties and denser microstructure.

Assessment of atmospheric mercury emissions in Finland

PubMed

Mukherjee; Melanen; Ekqvist; Verta

2000-10-02

This paper is part of the study of atmospheric emissions of heavy metals conducted by the Finnish Environment Institute in collaboration with the Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT) under the umbrella of the Finnish Ministry of the Environment. The scope of our study is limited solely to anthropogenic mercury that is emitted directly to the atmosphere. This article addresses emission factors and trends of atmospheric mercury emissions during the 1990s and is based mainly on the database of the Finnish Environmental Administration. In addition, data based on the measurements taken by the VTT regarding emission factors have been used to estimate emissions of mercury from the incineration of waste. The study indicates that the total emission of mercury has decreased from 1140 kg in 1990 to 620 kg in 1997, while industrial and energy production have been on the increase simultaneously. The 45% emission reduction is due to improved gas cleaning equipment, process changes, automation, the installation of flue gas desulfurization process in coal-fired power plants and strict pollution control laws. In the past, some authors have estimated a higher mercury emission in Finland. In this study, it is also observed that there are no big changes in the quality of raw materials. Estimated emission factors can be of great help to management for estimating mercury emissions and also its risk assessment.

Stellar occultation studies of the solar system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Elliot, J. L.

1979-01-01

The paper covers the principles, observational procedures, and results relating to occultations of stars by solar system bodies other than the moon. Physical processes involved in occultations are presented including (1) extinction by ring material, (2) differential refraction by a planetary atmosphere, (3) extinction by a planetary atmosphere, and (4) Fresnel diffraction by sharp edges. It is noted that from a sufficient number of immersion and emersion timings of a stellar occultation, the radius and ellipticity of the occulting body can be accurately determined. From an occultation by a planet having an atmosphere, temperature, pressure, and number density profiles can be obtained along with information about the composition of the atmosphere and the extinction.

Middle Atmosphere Electrodynamics During a Thunderstorm

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Croskey, Charles L.

1996-01-01

Rocket-based instrumentation investigations of middle atmospheric electrodynamics during thunderstorms were conducted in coordination with balloon-measurements at Wallops Island, Virginia. Middle atmosphere electrodynamics and energy coupling are of particular importance to associated electrical processes at lower and higher altitudes. Objectives of this research effort included: (1) investigation of thunderstorm effects on middle atmosphere electrical structure, including spatial and temporal dependence; (2) characterization of electric field transients and the associated energy deposited at various altitudes; (3) evaluation of the vertical Maxwell current density over a thunderstorm to study the coupling of energy to higher altitudes; and (4) investigation of the coupling of energy to the ionosphere and the current supplied to the 'global circuit.'

Spectral atmospheric observations at Nantucket Island, May 7-14, 1981

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Talay, T. A.; Poole, L. R.

1981-01-01

An experiment was conducted by the National Langley Research Center to measure atmospheric optical conditions using a 10-channel solar spectral photometer system. This experiment was part of a larger series of multidisciplinary experiments performed in the area of Nantucket Shoals aimed at studying the dynamics of phytoplankton production processes. Analysis of the collected atmospheric data yield total and aerosol optical depths, transmittances, normalized sky radiance distributions, and total and sky irradiances. Results of this analysis may aid in atmospheric corrections of remote sensor data obtained by several sensors overflying the Nantucket Shoals area. Recommendations are presented concerning future experiments using the described solar photometer system and calibration and operational deficiencies uncovered during the experiment.

The Hera Entry Probe Mission to Saturn, an ESA M-class mission proposal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mousis, O.; Atkinson, D. H.; Spilker, T.; Venkatapathy, E.; Poncy, J.; Coustenis, A.; Reh, K.

2015-10-01

A fundamental goal of solar system exploration is to understand the origin of the solar system, the initial stages, conditions, and processes by which the solar system formed, how the formation process was initiated, and the nature of the interstellar seed material from which the solar system was born. Key to understanding solar system formation and subsequent dynamical and chemical evolution is the origin and evolution of the giant planets and their atmospheres. Additionally, the atmospheres of the giant planets serve as laboratories to better understand the atmospheric chemistries, dynamics, processes, and climates on all planets in the solar system including Earth, offer a context and provide a ground truth for exoplanets and exoplanetary systems,and have long been thought to play a critical role in the development of potentially habitable planetary systems. Remote sensing observations are limited when used to study the bulk atmospheric composition of the giant planets of our solar system. A remarkable example of the value of in situ probe measurements is illustrated by the exploration of Jupiter, where key measurements such as noble gases abundances and the precise measurement of the helium mixing ratio have only been made available through in situ measurements by the Galileo probe. Representing the only method providing ground-truth to connect the remote sensing inferences with physical reality, in situ measurements have only been accomplished twice in the history of outer solar system exploration, via the Galileo probe for Jupiter and the Huygens probe for Titan. In situ measurements provide access to atmospheric regions that are beyond the reach of remote sensing, enabling the dynamical, chemical and aerosol-forming processes at work from the thermosphere to the troposphere below the cloud decks to be studied. A proposal for a Saturn entry probe mission named Hera was recently submitted to the European Space Agency Medium Class mission announcement of opportunity. Hera comprises a single entry probe carried by a flyby spacecraft that will also act as a relay station to receive the probe science telemetry for recording and later transmission to Earth. A solar powered mission, Hera will take approximately 8 years to reach Saturn and will descend under a sequence of parachutes to depths of at least 10 bars in approximately 75 minutes. The Hera probe will carry a Mass Spectrometer to measure the composition of Saturn's atmosphere, an Atmospheric Structure Instrument to measure atmospheric pressures and temperatures, and a Doppler Wind Experiment to measure the dynamics of Saturn's atmosphere. Other possible instruments in the Hera scientific payload include a Net Flux Radiometer to measure the energy balance of the Saturn atmosphere and a Nephelometer to measure cloud locations and densities. In the context of giant planet science provided by the Galileo, Juno, and Cassini missions to Jupiter and Saturn, the Hera Saturn probe will provide critical measurements of composition, structure, and processes that are not accessible by remote sensing. The results of Hera will help test competing theories of solar system and giant planet origin, chemical, and dynamical evolution.

Calculation of temperatures in condensed phase of burning PMMA by equation of Michelson, Mullar and Le Chatelier

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Turgumbayeva, R. Kh; Abdikarimov, M. N.; Sagintayeva, S. S.

2018-05-01

Results of studying an aerosol of the dioxide of sulfur and pentoxide of phosphorus released into the atmosphere by the chemical company for processing of phosphorit are presented. Influence of the direction and speed of wind on sulfur dioxide distribution and pentoxide of phosphorus in a ground layer of the atmosphere is studied, and the points of the direction of wind leading to pollution of the atmosphere of the nearby city are allocated. The statistical analysis of environmental pollution is carried out by the method of the correlation and regression analysis. The equations of dependence of the amount of the sulfur dioxide and pentoxide of phosphorus, released into the atmosphere, on the volume, released by the enterprise of production, are defined. The obtained results are recommended for control, regulation and management of the environment.

The Atmospheric Effects of Stratospheric Aircraft: a First Program Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Prather, Michael J.; Wesoky, Howard L.; Miake-Lye, Richard C.; Douglass, Anne R.; Turco, Richard P.; Wuebbles, Donald J.; Ko, Malcolm K. W.; Schmeltekopf, Arthur L.

1992-01-01

Studies have indicated that, with sufficient technology development, high speed civil transport aircraft could be economically competitive with long haul subsonic aircraft. However, uncertainty about atmospheric pollution, along with community noise and sonic boom, continues to be a major concern; and this is addressed in the planned 6 yr HSRP begun in 1990. Building on NASA's research in atmospheric science and emissions reduction, the AESA studies particularly emphasizing stratospheric ozone effects. Because it will not be possible to directly measure the impact of an HSCT aircraft fleet on the atmosphere, the only means of assessment will be prediction. The process of establishing credibility for the predicted effects will likely be complex and involve continued model development and testing against climatological patterns. Lab simulation of heterogeneous chemistry and other effects will continue to be used to improve the current models.

Microbial production of ice crystals in clouds as a novel atmospheric biosignature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santl-Temkiv, T.; Sahyoun, M.; Kjeldsen, H.; Ling, M.; Boesen, T.; Karlson, U. G.; Finster, K.

2014-03-01

A diverse assembly of exoplanets has been discovered during recent decades (Howard 2013), their atmospheres providing some of the most accessible evidence for the presence of biological activity on these planets. Metabolic gases have been commonly proposed as atmospheric biosignatures (Seager et al 2012). However, airborne microbes are also involved in cloud- and precipitation formation on Earth. Thus, meteorological phenomena may serve as alternative atmospheric biosignatures, for which appropriate observational techniques have yet to be developed. The atmospheric part of the Earth's water cycle heavily relies on the presence of nucleating particles, which promote the condensation and freezing of atmospheric water, both potentially leading to precipitation. While cloud condensation nuclei are diverse and relatively common, ice nuclei are poorly understood and comparably rare airborne particles. According to current knowledge, most ice nucleation below ñ15∞C is driven by the presence of inorganic dust particles, which are considered inactive at higher temperatures. Biogenic IN are the only reported particles that promote ice formation above ñ10∞C. Some bacteria, e.g. Pseudomonas syringae, produce Ice Nucleation Active (INA) proteins that are most efficient ice nuclei currently known. These INA bacteria are common in the atmosphere, and may thus be involved in precipitation processes of mixed phase clouds (Möhler et al 2007). We investigate the relevance of bacterial INA proteins for atmospheric processes using three approaches: (i) study of the presence of INA bacteria and their INA proteins in the atmosphere, (ii) a detailed molecular and physical study of isolated INA proteins, and finally (iii) a modeling study of the importance of INA proteins for ice-path in clouds as well as their importance for precipitation. During 14 precipitation events, we observed that 12% of isolated bacteria carried INA genes. INA bacteria had likely been emitted to the atmosphere from terrestrial surfaces, e.g. by convective transport. Additionally, we found INA biological fragments <220 nm in two precipitation samples (199, 482 INA per L), which indicates that in addition to intact cells, bacterial fragments that are more abundant than cells could also impact atmospheric processes. In order to study isolated INA proteins, we sequenced the INA gene from one of the isolated bacteria, Pseudomonas sp. R10.79. The INA gene will be expressed, purified and introduced into nano-discs. These INA nano-discs will facilitate a detailed molecular and physical study of INA proteins and its ice active properties. Most of modeling approaches rely on parameterizations based on classical nucleation theory, e.g. CH08 (Chen et al 2008), when introducing INA bacteria into climate models. Instead, we used an experimentally derived parameterization HAR13 (Hartmann et al 2013), when introducing bacteria into a 1-d operational weather forecast model HIRLAM (Unden et al 2002). By comparison HAR13 yields more ice and is more sensitive to the change of bacterial densities than CH08. While CH08 is a function of the size of the ice nuclei, HAR13 is a function of the number of INA protein complexes. INA protein complexes are the locations where the nucleation occurs and their number appears to be a more important parameter than cell size. We suggest that the study of individual INA proteins complexes both alone and on cell surfaces will lead to a better understanding of ice nucleation by INA bacteria.

Global Biology Research Program: Biogeochemical Processes in Wetlands

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bartlett, D. S. (Editor)

1984-01-01

The results of a workshop examining potential NASA contributions to research on wetland processes as they relate to global biogeochemical cycles are summarized. A wetlands data base utilizing remotely sensed inventories, studies of wetland/atmosphere exchange processes, and the extrapolation of local measurements to global biogeochemical cycling processes were identified as possible areas for NASA support.

Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining in Iran's Climatic Researches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karimi, Mostafa

2013-04-01

Advances in measurement technology and data collection is the database gets larger. Large databases require powerful tools for analysis data. Iterative process of acquiring knowledge from information obtained from data processing is done in various forms in all scientific fields. However, when the data volume large, and many of the problems the Traditional methods cannot respond. in the recent years, use of databases in various scientific fields, especially atmospheric databases in climatology expanded. in addition, increases in the amount of data generated by the climate models is a challenge for analysis of it for extraction of hidden pattern and knowledge. The approach to this problem has been made in recent years uses the process of knowledge discovery and data mining techniques with the use of the concepts of machine learning, artificial intelligence and expert (professional) systems is overall performance. Data manning is analytically process for manning in massive volume data. The ultimate goal of data mining is access to information and finally knowledge. climatology is a part of science that uses variety and massive volume data. Goal of the climate data manning is Achieve to information from variety and massive atmospheric and non-atmospheric data. in fact, Knowledge Discovery performs these activities in a logical and predetermined and almost automatic process. The goal of this research is study of uses knowledge Discovery and data mining technique in Iranian climate research. For Achieve This goal, study content (descriptive) analysis and classify base method and issue. The result shown that in climatic research of Iran most clustering, k-means and wards applied and in terms of issues precipitation and atmospheric circulation patterns most introduced. Although several studies in geography and climate issues with statistical techniques such as clustering and pattern extraction is done, Due to the nature of statistics and data mining, but cannot say for internal climate studies in data mining and knowledge discovery techniques are used. However, it is necessary to use the KDD Approach and DM techniques in the climatic studies, specific interpreter of climate modeling result.

Experimental Study on NO Emission Concentration of Pulverized Coal in Different Atmosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Jinghui; Yuan, Hui; Deng, jianhua

2018-02-01

The NO emission of pulverized coal during combustion in the O2/N2 atmosphere and O2/CO2 atmosphere was studied by using the sedimentation furnace test bed. The effects of CO2 concentration, temperature and excess air concentration on the NO emission characteristics of single coal and mixed coal The results show that the NO content of the pulverized coal is lower than that of the O2/N2 combustion atmosphere, and the decrease of the NO content in the O2/CO2 atmosphere is about 30%~35%. When the CO2 concentration changes from 20% to 50% of the process, the amount of NO produced in the selected coal gradually decreased, the change range is not large; with the pulverized coal combustion temperature continues to rise, the selected coal in the two kinds of atmosphere combustion NO content increased And the NO emission concentration is more obvious in the O2/N2 atmosphere. When the temperature reaches 1200°C and 1500°C the slope of the NO emission curve can be found to vary greatly. With the increase of the excess air coefficient α Increase, in these two atmosphere NO production also showed a rising trend.

Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, 11th, Houston, TX, March 17-21, 1980, Proceedings. Volume 3 - Physical processes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Merrill, R. B.

1980-01-01

Geophysical investigations are discussed, taking into account laboratory measurements, planetary measurements, and structural implications and models. Impact processes are also examined. Experimental studies are considered along with aspects of crater morphology and frequency, and models theory. Volcanic-tectonic processes are investigated and topics related to the study of planetary atmospheres are examined. Attention is given to shallow moonquakes, the focal mechanism of deep moonquakes, lunar polar wandering, the search for an intrinsic magnetic field of Venus, the early global melting of the terrestrial planets, the first few hundred years of evolution of a moon of fission origin, the control of crater morphology by gravity and target type, crater peaks in Mercurian craters, lunar cold traps and their influence on argon-40, and solar wind sputtering effects in the atmospheres of Mars and Venus.

The aeolian wind tunnel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Iversen, J. D.

1991-01-01

The aeolian wind tunnel is a special case of a larger subset of the wind tunnel family which is designed to simulate the atmospheric surface layer winds to small scale (a member of this larger subset is usually called an atmospheric boundary layer wind tunnel or environmental wind tunnel). The atmospheric boundary layer wind tunnel is designed to simulate, as closely as possible, the mean velocity and turbulence that occur naturally in the atmospheric boundary layer (defined as the lowest portion of the atmosphere, of the order of 500 m, in which the winds are most greatly affected by surface roughness and topography). The aeolian wind tunnel is used for two purposes: to simulate the physics of the saltation process and to model at small scale the erosional and depositional processes associated with topographic surface features. For purposes of studying aeolian effects on the surface of Mars and Venus as well as on Earth, the aeolian wind tunnel continues to prove to be a useful tool for estimating wind speeds necessary to move small particles on the three planets as well as to determine the effects of topography on the evolution of aeolian features such as wind streaks and dune patterns.

Review on occurrence and behavior of PCDD/Fs and dl-PCBs in atmosphere of East Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trinh, Minh Man; Chang, Moo Been

2018-05-01

This paper reviews the data from studies mainly published after 2000 to provide the current understanding of the physicochemical properties, atmospheric occurrence, gas/particle partitioning, fate and temporal trends in atmospheric matrix of PCDD/Fs and dl-PCBs of East Asia. Ambient PCDD/Fs and dl-PCBs concentrations in East Asia are found to be tens to hundreds times higher than that measured in Europe and North America. After strict regulations on PCDD/Fs and dl-PCBs emissions are enacted, the concentrations of these compounds decrease dramatically in Eastern Asian countries. In general, most of PCDD/Fs distribute in particle phase while dl-PCBs majorly exist in gas phase. Three main factors including physicochemical properties of the compounds, properties of particle and atmospheric condition affect the gas/particle partitioning of PCDD/Fs and dl-PCBs. The accuracy of absorption and adsorption models on predicting gas/particle partitioning of PCDD/Fs and dl-PCBs is evaluated. Gas-phase compounds are mostly removed from the atmosphere via reactions with OH radicals while those in particle phase are majorly removed by wet/dry deposition processes. The effects of removing processes and long-range transport on gas/particle partitioning are also discussed.

Characterization of the dynamics of the atmosphere of Venus with Doppler velocimetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Machado, Pedro Miguel Borges do Canto Mota

Currently the study of the Venus' atmosphere grows as a theme of major interest among the astrophysics scientific community. The most significant aspect of the general circulation of the atmosphere of Venus is its retrograde super-rotation. A complete characterization of this dynamical phenomenon is crucial for understanding its driving mechanisms. This work participates in the international effort to characterize the atmospheric dynamics of this planet in coordination with orbiter missions, in particular with Venus Express. The objectives of this study are to investigate the nature of the processes governing the super-rotation of the atmosphere of Venus using ground-based observations, thereby complementing measurements by orbiter instruments. This thesis analyzes observations of Venus made with two different instruments and Doppler velocimetry techniques. The data analysis technique allowed an unambiguous characterization of the zonal wind latitudinal profile and its temporal variability, as well as an investigation of large-scale planetary waves signature and their role in the maintenance of the zonal super-rotation, and suggest that detection and investigation of large-scale planetary waves can be carried out with this technique.These studies complement the independent observations of the european space mission Venus Express, in particular as regards the study of atmospheric super-rotation, meridional flow and its variability. (Abstract shortened by ProQuest.).

Development and kinetic analysis of cobalt gradient formation in WC-Co composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Jun

2011-12-01

Functionally graded cemented tungsten carbide (FG WC-Co) is one of the main research directions in the field of WC-Co over decades. Although it has long been recognized that FG WC-Co could outperform conventional homogeneous WC-Co owing to its potentially superior combinations of mechanical properties, until recently there has been a lack of effective and economical methods to make such materials. The lack of the technology has prevented the manufacturing and industrial applications of FG WC-Co from becoming a reality. This dissertation is a comprehensive study of an innovative atmosphere heat treatment process for producing FG WC-Co with a surface cobalt compositional gradient. The process exploited a triple phase field in W-C-Co phase diagram among three phases (solid WC, solid Co, and liquid Co) and the dependence of the migration of liquid Co on temperature and carbon content. WC-Co with a graded surface cobalt composition can be achieved by controlling the diffusion of carbon transported from atmosphere during sintering or during postsintering heat treatment. The feasibility of the process was validated by the successful preparations of FG WC-Co via both carburization and decarburization process following conventional liquid phase sintering. A study of the carburization process was undertaken to further understand and quantitatively modeled this process. The effects of key processing parameters (including heat treating temperature, atmosphere, and time) and key materials variables (involving Co content, WC grain size, and addition of grain growth inhibitors) on the formation of Co gradients were examined. Moreover, a carbon-diffusion controlled kinetic model was developed for simulating the formation of the gradient during the process. The parameters involved in this model were determined by thermodynamic calculations and regression-fit of simulation results with experimental data. In summary, this research first demonstrated the principle of the approach. Second, a model was developed to predict the gradients produced by the carbon-controlled atmosphere heat treatment process, which is useful for manufacturing WC-Co with designed gradients. FG WC-Co materials produced using this method are expected to exhibit superior performance in many applications and to have a profound impact on the manufacturing industries that use tungsten carbide tools.

Real-time Retrieving Atmospheric Parameters from Multi-GNSS Constellations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, X.; Zus, F.; Lu, C.; Dick, G.; Ge, M.; Wickert, J.; Schuh, H.

2016-12-01

The multi-constellation GNSS (e.g. GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, and BeiDou) bring great opportunities and challenges for real-time retrieval of atmospheric parameters for supporting numerical weather prediction (NWP) nowcasting or severe weather event monitoring. In this study, the observations from different GNSS are combined together for atmospheric parameter retrieving based on the real-time precise point positioning technique. The atmospheric parameters retrieved from multi-GNSS observations, including zenith total delay (ZTD), integrated water vapor (IWV), horizontal gradient (especially high-resolution gradient estimates) and slant total delay (STD), are carefully analyzed and evaluated by using the VLBI, radiosonde, water vapor radiometer and numerical weather model to independently validate the performance of individual GNSS and also demonstrate the benefits of multi-constellation GNSS for real-time atmospheric monitoring. Numerous results show that the multi-GNSS processing can provide real-time atmospheric products with higher accuracy, stronger reliability and better distribution, which would be beneficial for atmospheric sounding systems, especially for nowcasting of extreme weather.

Atmospheric Environment Vulnerability Cause Analysis for the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Metropolitan Region

PubMed Central

Zhang, Yang; Shen, Jing; Li, Yu

2018-01-01

Assessing and quantifying atmospheric vulnerability is a key issue in urban environmental protection and management. This paper integrated the Analytical hierarchy process (AHP), fuzzy synthesis evaluation and Geographic Information System (GIS) spatial analysis into an Exposure-Sensitivity-Adaptive capacity (ESA) framework to quantitatively assess atmospheric environment vulnerability in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region with spatial and temporal comparisons. The elaboration of the relationships between atmospheric environment vulnerability and indices of exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity supports enable analysis of the atmospheric environment vulnerability. Our findings indicate that the atmospheric environment vulnerability of 13 cities in the BTH region exhibits obvious spatial heterogeneity, which is caused by regional diversity in exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity indices. The results of atmospheric environment vulnerability assessment and the cause analysis can provide guidance to pick out key control regions and recognize vulnerable indicators for study sites. The framework developed in this paper can also be replicated at different spatial and temporal scales using context-specific datasets to support environmental management. PMID:29342852

Atmospheric Environment Vulnerability Cause Analysis for the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Metropolitan Region.

PubMed

Zhang, Yang; Shen, Jing; Li, Yu

2018-01-13

Assessing and quantifying atmospheric vulnerability is a key issue in urban environmental protection and management. This paper integrated the Analytical hierarchy process (AHP), fuzzy synthesis evaluation and Geographic Information System (GIS) spatial analysis into an Exposure-Sensitivity-Adaptive capacity (ESA) framework to quantitatively assess atmospheric environment vulnerability in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region with spatial and temporal comparisons. The elaboration of the relationships between atmospheric environment vulnerability and indices of exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity supports enable analysis of the atmospheric environment vulnerability. Our findings indicate that the atmospheric environment vulnerability of 13 cities in the BTH region exhibits obvious spatial heterogeneity, which is caused by regional diversity in exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity indices. The results of atmospheric environment vulnerability assessment and the cause analysis can provide guidance to pick out key control regions and recognize vulnerable indicators for study sites. The framework developed in this paper can also be replicated at different spatial and temporal scales using context-specific datasets to support environmental management.

The investigation of atmospheric deposition distribution of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in Turkey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cindoruk, S. Sıddık; Tasdemir, Yücel

2014-04-01

Atmospheric deposition is a significant pollution source leading to contamination of remote and clean sites, surface waters and soils. Since persistent organic pollutants (POPs) stay in atmosphere without any degradation, they can be transported and deposited to clean surfaces. Organochlorine pesticides are an important group of POPs which have toxic and harmful effects to living organisms and environment. Therefore, atmospheric deposition levels and characteristics are of importance to determine the pollution quantity of water and soil surfaces in terms of POPs. This study reports the distribution quantities of atmospheric deposition including bulk, dry, wet and air-water exchange of particle and gas phase OCPs as a result of 1-year sampling campaign. Atmospheric deposition distribution showed that the main mechanism for OCPs deposition is wet processes with percentage of 69 of total deposition. OCP compounds' deposition varied according to atmospheric concentration and deposition mechanism. HCH compounds were dominant pesticide species for all deposition mechanisms. HCH deposition constituted the 65% of Σ10OCPs.

Biomass Burning Observation Project (BBOP) Final Campaign Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kleinman, LI; Sedlacek, A. J.

2016-01-01

The Biomass Burning Observation Project (BBOP) was conducted to obtain a better understanding of how aerosols generated from biomass fires affect the atmosphere and climate. It is estimated that 40% of carbonaceous aerosol produced originates from biomass burning—enough to affect regional and global climate. Several biomass-burning studies have focused on tropical climates; however, few campaigns have been conducted within the United States, where millions of acres are burned each year, trending to higher values and greater climate impacts because of droughts in the West. Using the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Aerial Facility (AAF), the BBOP deployed the Gulfstream-1 (G-1) aircraftmore » over smoke plumes from active wildfire and agricultural burns to help identify the impact of these events and how impacts evolve with time. BBOP was one of very few studies that targeted the near-field time evolution of aerosols and aimed to obtain a process-level understanding of the large changes that occur within a few hours of atmospheric processing.« less

Aerosols in atmospheric chemistry and biogeochemical cycles of nutrients

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kanakidou, Maria; Myriokefalitakis, Stelios; Tsigaridis, Kostas

2018-06-01

Atmospheric aerosols have complex and variable compositions and properties. While scientific interest is centered on the health and climatic effects of atmospheric aerosols, insufficient attention is given to their involvement in multiphase chemistry that alters their contribution as carriers of nutrients in ecosystems. However, there is experimental proof that the nutrient equilibria of both land and marine ecosystems have been disturbed during the Anthropocene period. This review study first summarizes our current understanding of aerosol chemical processing in the atmosphere as relevant to biogeochemical cycles. Then it binds together results of recent modeling studies based on laboratory and field experiments, focusing on the organic and dust components of aerosols that account for multiphase chemistry, aerosol ageing in the atmosphere, nutrient (N, P, Fe) emissions, atmospheric transport, transformation and deposition. The human-driven contribution to atmospheric deposition of these nutrients, derived by global simulations using past and future anthropogenic emissions of pollutants, is put into perspective with regard to potential changes in nutrient limitations and biodiversity. Atmospheric deposition of nutrients has been suggested to result in human-induced ecosystem limitations with regard to specific nutrients. Such modifications favor the development of certain species against others and affect the overall functioning of ecosystems. Organic forms of nutrients are found to contribute to the atmospheric deposition of the nutrients N, P and Fe by 20%–40%, 35%–45% and 7%–18%, respectively. These have the potential to be key components of the biogeochemical cycles since there is initial proof of their bioavailability to ecosystems. Bioaerosols have been found to make a significant contribution to atmospheric sources of N and P, indicating potentially significant interactions between terrestrial and marine ecosystems. These results deserve further experimental and modeling studies to reduce uncertainties and understand the feedbacks induced by atmospheric deposition of nutrients to ecosystems.

Understanding Atmospheric Anomalies Associated With Seasonal Pluvial-Drought Processes Using Southwest China as an Example

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Zhenchen; Lu, Guihua; He, Hai; Wu, Zhiyong; He, Jian

2017-11-01

Seasonal pluvial-drought transition processes are unique natural phenomena. To explore possible mechanisms, we considered Southwest China (SWC) as the study region and comprehensively investigated the temporal evolution or spatial patterns of large-scale and regional atmospheric variables with the simple method of Standardized Anomalies (SA). Some key procedures and results include the following: (1) Because regional atmospheric variables are more directly responsible for the transition processes, we investigate it in detail. The temporal evolution of net vertical integral water vapor flux (net VIWVF) across SWC, together with vertical SA-based patterns of regional horizontal divergence (D) and vertical motion (ω), coincides well with pluvial-drought transition processes. (2) With respect to large-scale circulation patterns, a well-organized Eurasian (EU) Pattern is one important feature during the pluvial-drought transitions over SWC. (3) Based on these large-scale and regional atmospheric anomalous features, relevant SA-based indices were built, to explore the possibility of simulating drought development using previous pluvial anomalies. As a whole, simulated drought development only with SA-based indices of large-scale circulation patterns does not perform well. Further, it can be improved a lot when SA-based indices of regional D and net VIWVF are introduced. (4) In addition, the potential drought prediction using pluvial anomalies, together with the deep understanding of physical mechanisms responsible for pluvial-drought transitions, need to be further explored.

The physics of Martian weather and climate: a review.

PubMed

Read, P L; Lewis, S R; Mulholland, D P

2015-12-01

The planet Mars hosts an atmosphere that is perhaps the closest in terms of its meteorology and climate to that of the Earth. But Mars differs from Earth in its greater distance from the Sun, its smaller size, its lack of liquid oceans and its thinner atmosphere, composed mainly of CO(2). These factors give Mars a rather different climate to that of the Earth. In this article we review various aspects of the martian climate system from a physicist's viewpoint, focusing on the processes that control the martian environment and comparing these with corresponding processes on Earth. These include the radiative and thermodynamical processes that determine the surface temperature and vertical structure of the atmosphere, the fluid dynamics of its atmospheric motions, and the key cycles of mineral dust and volatile transport. In many ways, the climate of Mars is as complicated and diverse as that of the Earth, with complex nonlinear feedbacks that affect its response to variations in external forcing. Recent work has shown that the martian climate is anything but static, but is almost certainly in a continual state of transient response to slowly varying insolation associated with cyclic variations in its orbit and rotation. We conclude with a discussion of the physical processes underlying these long- term climate variations on Mars, and an overview of some of the most intriguing outstanding problems that should be a focus for future observational and theoretical studies.

Combined and isolated effects of pCO2 and soil water content on carbon isotope discrimination during C3 photosynthesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salmon, O. E.; Welp, L.; Shepson, P. B.; Stirm, B. H.

2016-12-01

Water vapor is responsible for over half of the natural atmospheric greenhouse effect. As global temperatures increase due to fossil fuel combustion, atmospheric water vapor concentrations are also expected to increase in positive feedback. Additionally, studies have shown that urban areas can influence humidity levels, and the frequency and intensity of precipitation events. It is thus important to understand anthropogenic modification of the hydrological cycle, particularly around urban areas, where over half of the world's population resides. Airborne measurements of water vapor isotopologues containing 2H and 18O were conducted to better understand processes influencing atmospheric moisture levels around urban areas. Airborne measurements were conducted around the Indianapolis and Washington, D.C.-Baltimore areas during afternoon hours in February and March 2016, using a Los Gatos Research Water Vapor Isotope Analyzer installed in Purdue University's experimental aircraft, the Airborne Laboratory for Atmospheric Research. The measurements of 2H and 18O allow for the calculation of deuterium excess (= δ2H - 8*δ18O), which provides information about non-equilibrium processes, such as kinetic effects, air parcel mixing, and transpiration. There are few studies that have reported observations of deuterium excess above the surface level ( 100 m). During the measurement campaign, vertical profiles were frequently conducted from 300 m above the ground to an altitude of approximately 1.5 km, effectively characterizing water vapor isotope profiles spanning the boundary layer and lower free troposphere. Measurements probed the transition from planetary boundary layer air to free troposphere air to provide high resolution deuterium excess information across this interface. Processes such as Rayleigh distillation, atmospheric mixing, and surface fluxes potentially impacting water vapor deuterium excess through the boundary layer and free troposphere with be discussed.

Airborne Observations of Water Vapor Deuterium Excess in the Mid-Latitude Lower Troposphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salmon, O. E.; Welp, L.; Shepson, P. B.; Stirm, B. H.

2017-12-01

Water vapor is responsible for over half of the natural atmospheric greenhouse effect. As global temperatures increase due to fossil fuel combustion, atmospheric water vapor concentrations are also expected to increase in positive feedback. Additionally, studies have shown that urban areas can influence humidity levels, and the frequency and intensity of precipitation events. It is thus important to understand anthropogenic modification of the hydrological cycle, particularly around urban areas, where over half of the world's population resides. Airborne measurements of water vapor isotopologues containing 2H and 18O were conducted to better understand processes influencing atmospheric moisture levels around urban areas. Airborne measurements were conducted around the Indianapolis and Washington, D.C.-Baltimore areas during afternoon hours in February and March 2016, using a Los Gatos Research Water Vapor Isotope Analyzer installed in Purdue University's experimental aircraft, the Airborne Laboratory for Atmospheric Research. The measurements of 2H and 18O allow for the calculation of deuterium excess (= δ2H - 8*δ18O), which provides information about non-equilibrium processes, such as kinetic effects, air parcel mixing, and transpiration. There are few studies that have reported observations of deuterium excess above the surface level ( 100 m). During the measurement campaign, vertical profiles were frequently conducted from 300 m above the ground to an altitude of approximately 1.5 km, effectively characterizing water vapor isotope profiles spanning the boundary layer and lower free troposphere. Measurements probed the transition from planetary boundary layer air to free troposphere air to provide high resolution deuterium excess information across this interface. Processes such as Rayleigh distillation, atmospheric mixing, and surface fluxes potentially impacting water vapor deuterium excess through the boundary layer and free troposphere with be discussed.

Composition and mixing states of brown haze particle over the Himalayas along two transboundary south-north transects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dong, Zhiwen; Kang, Shichang; Guo, Junming; Zhang, Qianggong; Wang, Xuejia; Qin, Dahe

2017-05-01

Pollutants that are usually transported from southern Asia to the Tibetan Plateau deposit on the Plateau surface, change snow albedo and thereby surface radiative flux. This results numerous climatic implications like as erratic monsoon, perturbation in hydrological cycle, etc. However, the accurate estimation of these climatic implications is not well understood, because the atmospheric pollution is a heterogeneous mixture of various particle types. Therefore, this part of climate research requires a detailed investigation of physical and chemical properties of atmospheric pollutants. This study aimed to examine the physical and chemical properties of atmospheric pollutants across the Himalayan regions along two transboundary south-north transects. The information of individual-particles was obtained using microscopy-based techniques that comprises transmission electron microscope (TEM) and Energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDX). Study capture the signatures of various types of atmospheric species such as black carbon (BC), mineral dust, fly ash, organic matter, sulfate, nitrite, ammonium, and NaCl. Microscopy-based techniques confirm that these particles were generally in mixing state, for example salt-coated particles accounting for 25-56% of the total particles in sampled locations. Our analysis shows that urban and rural locations are characterized with atmospheric particles which sourced from anthropogenic activities, whereas remote locations with those released from natural crustal. However, the relative contributions of anthropogenic particles were higher than that of particles released from natural crustal. The presence of such particles over remote locations of Himalayan region provides an evidence of prevailing atmospheric transport processes, which further need to be well understood. It is expected that this work would be helpful in understanding the regional atmospheric conditions and the transboundary transport process of haze particles. As these informations are of great importance in modeling studies, which further lead to improve understanding of haze particles climate effects.

A steady-state continuous flow chamber for the study of daytime and nighttime chemistry under atmospherically relevant NO levels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Xuan; Ortega, John; Huang, Yuanlong; Shertz, Stephen; Tyndall, Geoffrey S.; Orlando, John J.

2018-05-01

Experiments performed in laboratory chambers have contributed significantly to the understanding of the fundamental kinetics and mechanisms of the chemical reactions occurring in the atmosphere. Two chemical regimes, classified as high-NO vs. zero-NO conditions, have been extensively studied in previous chamber experiments. Results derived from these two chemical scenarios are widely parameterized in chemical transport models to represent key atmospheric processes in urban and pristine environments. As the anthropogenic NOx emissions in the United States have decreased remarkably in the past few decades, the classic high-NO and zero-NO conditions are no longer applicable to many regions that are constantly impacted by both polluted and background air masses. We present here the development and characterization of the NCAR Atmospheric Simulation Chamber, which is operated in steady-state continuous flow mode for the study of atmospheric chemistry under intermediate NO conditions. This particular chemical regime is characterized by constant sub-ppb levels of NO and can be created in the chamber by precise control of the inflow NO concentration and the ratio of chamber mixing to residence timescales. Over the range of conditions achievable in the chamber, the lifetime of peroxy radicals (RO2), a key intermediate from the atmospheric degradation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), can be extended to several minutes, and a diverse array of reaction pathways, including unimolecular pathways and bimolecular reactions with NO and HO2, can thus be explored. Characterization experiments under photolytic and dark conditions were performed and, in conjunction with model predictions, provide a basis for interpretation of prevailing atmospheric processes in environments with intertwined biogenic and anthropogenic activities. We demonstrate the proof of concept of the steady-state continuous flow chamber operation through measurements of major first-generation products, methacrolein (MACR) and methyl vinyl ketone (MVK), from OH- and NO3-initiated oxidation of isoprene.

Upper atmospheric effects of the hf active auroral research program ionospheric research instrument (HAARP IRI)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Eccles, V.; Armstrong, R.

1993-05-01

The earth's ozone layer occurs in the stratosphere, primarily between 10 and 30 miles altitude. The amount of ozone, O3, present is the result of a balance between production and destruction processes. Experiments have shown that natural processes such as auroras create molecules that destroy O. One family of such molecules is called odd nitrogen of which nitric oxide (NO) is an example. Because the HAARP (HF Active Auroral Research Program) facility is designed to mimic and investigate certain natural processes, a study of possible effects of HAARP on the ozone layer was conducted. The study used a detailed modelmore » of the thermal and chemical effects of the high power HF beam, which interacts with free electrons in the upper atmosphere above 50 miles altitude. It was found only a small fraction of the beam energy goes into the production of odd nitrogen molecules, whereas odd nitrogen is efficiently produced by auroras. Since the total energy emitted by HAARP in the year is some 200,000 times less than the energy deposited in the upper atmosphere by auroras, the study demonstrates that HAARP HF beam experiments will cause no measurable depletion of the earth's ozone layer.... Ozone, Ozone depletion, Ozone layer, Odd nitrogen, Nitric oxide, HAARP Emitter characteristics.« less

Insights into Aqueous-phase processing through Comparison of the Organic Chemical Composition of Atmospheric Particles and Cloud Water in the Southeast United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boone, E.; Laskin, J.; Laskin, A.; Wirth, C.; Shepson, P. B.; Stirm, B. H.; Pratt, K.

2014-12-01

Organic compounds comprise a significant mass fraction of submicron atmospheric particles with considerable contribution from secondary organic aerosol (SOA), a large fraction of which is formed from the oxidation of biogenic volatile organic compounds. Aqueous-phase reactions in particles and cloud droplets are suggested to increase SOA mass and change the chemical composition the particles following cloud evaporation. Aqueous-phase processing may also explain discrepancies between measurements and models. To gain a better understanding of these processes, cloud water and below-cloud atmospheric particles were collected onboard a research aircraft during the Southeast Oxidants and Aerosol Study (SOAS) over Alabama in June 2013. Nanospray desorption electrospray ionization (nano-DESI) and direct electrospray ionization (ESI) coupled with high resolution mass spectrometry were utilized to compare the organic molecular composition of the particle and cloud water samples, respectively. Several hundred unique compounds have been identified in the particle and cloud water samples, allowing possible aqueous-phase reactions to be examined. Hydrolysis of organosulfate compounds, aqueous-phase formation of nitrogen-containing compounds, and possible fragmentation of oligomeric compounds will be discussed, with comparisons to previous laboratory studies. This study provides insights into aqueous-phase reactions in ambient cloud droplets.

Atmospheric Chemistry from Space: Present Status and Future Plans

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schoeberl, Mark R.; Einaudi, Franco (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

One of the unqualified successes of the earth observation program is NASA's continuing monitoring of the ozone layer from space. This activity began in the early 70's with research instruments and continues to this day with the TOMS instrument series and the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite. In the near future, NASA will be launching the EOS Aura spacecraft (launch mid-2003) which will continue our study of the chemical processes that produce stratospheric ozone depletion. In addition, Aura will begin the first global study of lower atmospheric air pollution including urban ozone, aerosols, nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide. Atmospheric air pollution measurements from earth orbit involve the development of very high precision spectrometer technologies that have never been flown in space. Farther into the future, lower atmospheric ozone and aerosols may be monitored by space based lidars in low earth orbit, by sensors in geostationary orbit and by continuous limb observations instrument from the Lagrange point L2.

Methodology and significance of studies of atmospheric deposition in highway runoff

USGS Publications Warehouse

Colman, John A.; Rice, Karen C.; Willoughby, Timothy C.

2001-01-01

Atmospheric deposition and the processes that are involved in causing and altering atmospheric deposition in relation to highway surfaces and runoff were evaluated nationwide. Wet deposition is more easily monitored than dry deposition, and data on wet deposition are available for major elements and water properties (constituents affecting acid deposition) from the inter-agency National Atmospheric Deposition Program/ National Trends Network (NADP/NTN). Many trace constituents (metals and organic compounds) of interest in highway runoff loads, however, are not included in the NADP/NTN. Dry deposition, which constitutes a large part of total atmospheric deposition for many constituents in highway runoff loads, is difficult to monitor accurately. Dry-deposition rates are not widely available.Many of the highway-runoff investigations that have addressed atmospheric-deposition sources have had flawed investigative designs or problems with methodology. Some results may be incorrect because of reliance on time-aggregated data collected during a period of changing atmospheric emissions. None of the investigations used methods that could accurately quantify the part of highway runoff load that can be attributed to ambient atmospheric deposition. Lack of information about accurate ambient deposition rates and runoff loads was part of the problem. Samples collected to compute the rates and loads were collected without clean-sampling methods or sampler protocols, and without quality-assurance procedures that could validate the data. Massbudget calculations comparing deposition and runoff did not consider loss of deposited material during on-highway processing. Loss of deposited particles from highway travel lanes could be large, as has been determined in labeled particle studies, because of resuspension caused by turbulence from passing traffic. Although a cause of resuspension of large particles, traffic turbulence may increase the rate of deposition for small particles and gases by impaction, especially during precipitation periods.Ultimately, traffic and road maintenance may be determined to be the source of many constituents measured in highway runoff previously attributed to ambient atmospheric deposition. An investigative design using tracers of ambient deposition that are not present in highway traffic sources could determine conclusively what fraction of highway runoff load is contributed by ambient atmospheric deposition.

A satellite AOT derived from the ground sky transmittance measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lim, H. S.; MatJafri, M. Z.; Abdullah, K.; Tan, K. C.; Wong, C. J.; Saleh, N. Mohd.

2008-10-01

The optical properties of aerosols such as smoke from burning vary due to aging processes and these particles reach larger sizes at high concentrations. The objectives of this study are to develop and evaluate an algorithm for estimating atmospheric optical thickness from Landsat TM image. This study measured the sky transmittance at the ground using a handheld spectroradiometer in a wide wavelength spectrum to retrieve atmospheric optical thickness. The in situ measurement of atmospheric transmittance data were collected simultaneously with the acquisition of remotely sensed satellite data. The digital numbers for the three visible bands corresponding to the in situ locations were extracted and then converted into reflectance values. The reflectance measured from the satellite was subtracted by the amount given by the surface reflectance to obtain the atmospheric reflectance. These atmospheric reflectance values were used for calibration of the AOT algorithm. This study developed an empirical method to estimate the AOT values from the sky transmittance values. Finally, a AOT map was generated using the proposed algorithm and colour-coded for visual interpretation.

Use of Atmospheric Pressure Cold Plasma for Meat Industry.

PubMed

Lee, Juri; Lee, Cheol Woo; Yong, Hae In; Lee, Hyun Jung; Jo, Cheorun; Jung, Samooel

2017-01-01

Novel, effective methods to control and prevent spoilage and contamination by pathogenic microorganisms in meat and meat products are in constant demand. Non-thermal pasteurization is an ideal method for the preservation of meat and meat products because it does not use heat during the pasteurization process. Atmospheric pressure cold plasma (APCP) is a new technology for the non-thermal pasteurization of meat and meat products. Several recent studies have shown that APCP treatment reduces the number of pathogenic microorganisms in meat and meat products. Furthermore, APCP treatment can be used to generate nitrite, which is an essential component of the curing process. Here, we introduce the effectiveness of APCP treatment as a pasteurization method and/or curing process for use in the meat and meat product processing industry.

Use of Atmospheric Pressure Cold Plasma for Meat Industry

PubMed Central

Lee, Juri; Lee, Cheol Woo; Yong, Hae In; Lee, Hyun Jung; Jo, Cheorun; Jung, Samooel

2017-01-01

Novel, effective methods to control and prevent spoilage and contamination by pathogenic microorganisms in meat and meat products are in constant demand. Non-thermal pasteurization is an ideal method for the preservation of meat and meat products because it does not use heat during the pasteurization process. Atmospheric pressure cold plasma (APCP) is a new technology for the non-thermal pasteurization of meat and meat products. Several recent studies have shown that APCP treatment reduces the number of pathogenic microorganisms in meat and meat products. Furthermore, APCP treatment can be used to generate nitrite, which is an essential component of the curing process. Here, we introduce the effectiveness of APCP treatment as a pasteurization method and/or curing process for use in the meat and meat product processing industry. PMID:28943759

Inverse Modeling of Tropospheric Methane Constrained by 13C Isotope in Methane

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mikaloff Fletcher, S. E.; Tans, P. P.; Bruhwiler, L. M.

2001-12-01

Understanding the budget of methane is crucial to predicting climate change and managing earth's carbon reservoirs. Methane is responsible for approximately 15% of the anthropogenic greenhouse forcing and has a large impact on the oxidative capacity of Earth's atmosphere due to its reaction with hydroxyl radical. At present, many of the sources and sinks of methane are poorly understood, due in part to the large spatial and temporal variability of the methane flux. Model calculations of methane mixing ratios using most process-based source estimates typically over-predict the inter-hemispheric gradient of atmospheric methane. Inverse models, which estimate trace gas budgets by using observations of atmospheric mixing ratios and transport models to estimate sources and sinks, have been used to incorporate features of the atmospheric observations into methane budgets. While inverse models of methane generally tend to find a decrease in northern hemisphere sources and an increase in southern hemisphere sources relative to process-based estimates,no inverse study has definitively associated the inter-hemispheric gradient difference with a specific source process or group of processes. In this presentation, observations of isotopic ratios of 13C in methane and isotopic signatures of methane source processes are used in conjunction with an inverse model of methane to further constrain the source estimates of methane. In order to investigate the advantages of incorporating 13C, the TM3 three-dimensional transport model was used. The methane and carbon dioxide measurements used are from a cooperative international effort, the Cooperative Air Sampling Network, lead by the Climate Monitoring Diagnostics Laboratory (CMDL) at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Experiments using model calculations based on process-based source estimates show that the inter-hemispheric gradient of δ 13CH4 is not reproduced by these source estimates, showing that the addition of observations of δ 13CH4 should provide unique insight into the methane problem.

Recent advances in understanding secondary organic aerosols: implications for global climate forcing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shrivastava, Manish

2017-04-01

Anthropogenic emissions and land-use changes have modified atmospheric aerosol concentrations and size distributions over time. Understanding pre-industrial conditions and changes in organic aerosol due to anthropogenic activities is important because these features 1) influence estimates of aerosol radiative forcing and 2) can confound estimates of the historical response of climate to increases in greenhouse gases (e.g. the 'climate sensitivity'). Secondary organic aerosol (SOA), formed in the atmosphere by oxidation of organic gases, often represents a major fraction of global submicron-sized atmospheric organic aerosol. Over the past decade, significant advances in understanding SOA properties and formation mechanisms have occurred through measurements, yet current climate models typically do not comprehensively include all important processes. This presentation is based on a US Department of Energy Atmospheric Systems Research sponsored workshop, which highlighted key SOA processes overlooked in climate models that could greatly affect climate forcing estimates. We will highlight the importance of processes that influence the growth of SOA particles to sizes relevant for clouds and radiative forcing, including: formation of extremely low-volatility organics in the gas-phase; isoprene epoxydiols (IEPOX) multi-phase chemistry; particle-phase oligomerization; and physical properties such as viscosity. We also highlight some of the recently discovered important processes that involve interactions between natural biogenic emissions and anthropogenic emissions such as effects of sulfur and NOx emissions on SOA. We will present examples of integrated model-measurement studies that relate the observed evolution of organic aerosol mass and number with knowledge of particle properties such as volatility and viscosity. We will also highlight the importance of continuing efforts to rank the most influential SOA processes that affect climate forcing, but are often missing in climate models. Ultimately, gas- and particle-phase chemistry processes that capture the dynamic evolution of number and mass concentrations of SOA particles need to be accurately and efficiently represented in regional and global atmospheric chemistry-climate models.

Water vapor isotopic measurements from the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement site on Graciosa Island, Azores

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Delp, J. M.; Galewsky, J.

2017-12-01

Stable isotopic measurements of water vapor can potentially constrain the processes that govern the formation of low-clouds and how their distribution may change as the climate warms. Using off-axis integrated cavity output spectroscopy, in-situ water vapor isotopic measurements will be collected for a period of one year (beginning August 2017) at the US Department of Energy (DOE) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) site in the Eastern North Atlantic (ENA) located on Graciosa Island, Azores. The Azores location within the ENA is a prime setting for studying low-cloud processes. After correcting for humidity-dependent biases and normalizing the measurements to the VSMOW-SLAP scale, the measurements from the first several months of the water vapor isotopic analyzer's deployment will be compared to complementary datasets from the suite of instruments at the DOE site, including twice-daily soundings, aerosol instrumentation, and cloud radars, with the purpose of determining links between local stratocumulus and precipitation processes and their impact on the stable isotopic composition of atmospheric water vapor. The results of this study will potentially provide a new approach for linking field observations with climate models and may help better constrain the uncertainties associated with low-cloud feedbacks.

NASA Cold Land Processes Experiment (CLPX 2002/03): Atmospheric analyses datasets

Treesearch

Glen E. Liston; Daniel L. Birkenheuer; Christopher A. Hiemstra; Donald W. Cline; Kelly Elder

2008-01-01

This paper describes the Local Analysis and Prediction System (LAPS) and the 20-km horizontal grid version of the Rapid Update Cycle (RUC20) atmospheric analyses datasets, which are available as part of the Cold Land Processes Field Experiment (CLPX) data archive. The LAPS dataset contains spatially and temporally continuous atmospheric and surface variables over...

Behavior of Quartz and Carbon Black Pellets at Elevated Temperatures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Fei; Tangstad, Merete

This paper studies the quartz and carbon black pellets at elevated temperature with varying temperature and gas atmosphere. High-purity quartz and commercial ultra-pure carbon black was mixed (carbon content vet. 15%), and then pelletized into particles of l-3mm in diameter. The stoichiometric analysis of the pellet during heating is studied in thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) furnace at different temperature in CO and Ar atmosphere. The microstructure, phase changes and element content of sample before/after heating is characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, X-ray fluorescence and LECO analyzer. The reaction process can be divided into two stages. Higher temperature and argon atmosphere are the positive parameters for SiC formation.

Studies in geophysics: The Earth's electrical environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

The Earth is electrified. Between the surface and the outer reaches of the atmosphere, there is a global circuit that is maintained by worldwide thunderstorm activity and by upper atmospheric dynamo processes. The highest voltages approach a billion volts and are generated within thunderclouds, where lightning is a visual display of the cloud's electrical nature. The largest currents in the circuit, approaching a million amperes, are associated with the aurora. Because there have been significant advances in understanding many of the component parts of the global electric circuit (lightning, cloud electrification, electrical processes in specific atmospheric regions, and telluric currents), a principal research challenge is to understand how these components interact to shape the global circuit. Increased basic understanding in this field has many potential practical applications, including lightning protection, the design of advanced aircraft and spacecraft, and improvements in weather prediction.

Studies in geophysics: The Earth's electrical environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1986-01-01

The Earth is electrified. Between the surface and the outer reaches of the atmosphere, there is a global circuit that is maintained by worldwide thunderstorm activity and by upper atmospheric dynamo processes. The highest voltages approach a billion volts and are generated within thunderclouds, where lightning is a visual display of the cloud's electrical nature. The largest currents in the circuit, approaching a million amperes, are associated with the aurora. Because there have been significant advances in understanding many of the component parts of the global electric circuit (lightning, cloud electrification, electrical processes in specific atmospheric regions, and telluric currents), a principal research challenge is to understand how these components interact to shape the global circuit. Increased basic understanding in this field has many potential practical applications, including lightning protection, the design of advanced aircraft and spacecraft, and improvements in weather prediction.

The Response of High Energy Photoelectrons in The Mars Atmosphere to Variable Solar Input

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mills, I. F.; Eparvier, F. G.; Thiemann, E.; Mitchell, D. L.

2016-12-01

The Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) mission aims to understand the processes by which Mars has been losing atmosphere over time by analyzing data taken from different levels of the Martian atmosphere as well as solar drivers. In this project, we isolate data taken from the ionosphere to study high-energy electrons created by a particular ionization process called the Auger effect. This process occurs when soft x-rays ionize atmospheric gases. In particular, we focus on Auger electrons that are ionized from CO2 molecules and atomic O via solar irradiance in the 0.1-6 nm wavelength range. Thus far, the portion of the solar spectrum that produces Auger electrons has been sparsely measured and its spectral distribution is poorly understood, especially as a function of solar activity. To make up for this, models of spectral irradiance are used in studies of atmospheric effects. In an effort to validate solar irradiance models from 0.1- 6 nm, we utilize data from two instruments on board the MAVEN spacecraft, EUVM (the Extreme Ultraviolet Monitor), which measures the broadband solar irradiance from 0.1-6 nm and SWEA (the Solar Wind Electron Analyzer), which measures the photoelectron energy spectrum in the Mars atmosphere. We then compare these observed data sets to two different spectral irradiance models: MAVEN SynRef, and FISM-M (the Flare Irradiance Spectral Model for Mars). SynRef is a version of the SORCE XPS model modified to be used by MAVEN/EUVM, and FISM-M is a version of the FISM proxy model previously developed for Earth irradiance and modified to be used by MAVEN/EUVM. Our method of comparison is to find the Pearson correlation between the data and the models over October 2015, a month that had a strong solar rotational variability in the solar irradiance. By filtering the SWEA data for different altitudes and solar zenith angles, we are able to analyze how Auger electrons react under different solar activity levels. Both irradiance models correlate well with the electron data, specifically when comparing them with electrons in the bin containing the Auger peak, and when integrating over multiple energy bins surrounding this peak.

Application of open-path Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy for atmospheric monitoring of a CO2 back-production experiment at the Ketzin pilot site (Germany).

PubMed

Sauer, Uta; Borsdorf, H; Dietrich, P; Liebscher, A; Möller, I; Martens, S; Möller, F; Schlömer, S; Schütze, C

2018-02-03

During a controlled "back-production experiment" in October 2014 at the Ketzin pilot site, formerly injected CO 2 was retrieved from the storage formation and directly released to the atmosphere via a vent-off stack. Open-path Fourier transform infrared (OP FTIR) spectrometers, on-site meteorological parameter acquisition systems, and distributed CO 2 point sensors monitored gas dispersion processes in the near-surface part of the atmospheric boundary layer. The test site provides a complex and challenging mosaic-like surface setting for atmospheric monitoring which can also be found at other storage sites. The main aims of the atmospheric monitoring of this experiment were (1) to quantify temporal and spatial variations in atmospheric CO 2 concentrations around the emitting vent-off stack and (2) to test if and how atmospheric monitoring can cope with typical environmental and operational challenges. A low environmental risk was encountered during the whole CO 2 back-production experiment. The study confirms that turbulent wind conditions favor atmospheric mixing processes and are responsible for rapid dilution of the released CO 2 leading to decreased detectability at all sensors. In contrast, calm and extremely stable wind conditions (especially occurring during the night) caused an accumulation of gases in the near-ground atmospheric layer with the highest amplitudes in measured gas concentration. As an important benefit of OP FTIR spectroscopic measurements and their ability to detect multiple gas species simultaneously, emission sources could be identified to a much higher certainty. Moreover, even simulation models using simplified assumptions help to find suitable monitoring network designs and support data analysis for certain wind conditions in such a complex environment.

Dynamics of the Mesopause Region as Revealed in Images of Polar Mesospheric Clouds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bailey, Scott; Thurairajah, Brentha; Nielsen, Kim; Lumpe, Jerry; Randall, Cora; Taylor, Michael J.; Zhao, Yucheng

Studying the geospace response to variable inputs and waves from the lower atmosphere is particularly important since the induced variability competes with the solar and magnetic driving from above. Consequences for telecommunications, re-entry and satellite operations still need to be explored. The extent to which the effects of this quiescent atmospheric variability are transmitted to the magnetosphere is yet to be resolved. We thus stand right now at an exciting research frontier: understanding the cause-and-effect chain that connects tropospheric and strato-/mesospheric variability with geospace processes. CAWSES-II Task Group 4 (TG4) will therefore elucidate the dynamical coupling from the low and middle atmosphere to geospace including the upper atmosphere, ionosphere, and magnetosphere, for various frequencies and scales, such as gravity waves, tides, and planetary waves, and for equatorial, middle, and high latitudes. Attacking the problem clearly requires a systems approach involving experimentalists, data analysts and modelers from different communities. For that purpose, the most essential part of TG4 is to encourage interactions between atmospheric scientists and plasma scientists on all occasions. Four project are established in TG4, i.e., Project 1: How do atmospheric waves connect tropospheric weather with ITM variability?, Project 2: What is the relation between atmospheric waves and ionospheric instabilities?, Project 3: How do the different types of waves interact as they propagate through the stratosphere to the ionosphere?, and Project 4: How do thermospheric disturbances generated by auroral processes interact with the neutral and ionized atmosphere? A joint project with TG2 is also proposed for the topic of Project 5: How does climate change affects atmospheric waves in the ITM? In this presentation we show current status and future plan of CAWSES-II TG4 activities of 2009-2013.

Atmospheric footprint of the recent warming slowdown

PubMed Central

Liu, Bo; Zhou, Tianjun

2017-01-01

Growing body of literature has developed to detect the role of ocean heat uptake and transport in the recent warming slowdown between 1998–2013; however, the atmospheric footprint of the slowdown in dynamical and physical processes remains unclear. Here, we divided recent decades into the recent hiatus period and the preceding warming period (1983–1998) to investigate the atmospheric footprint. We use a process-resolving analysis method to quantify the contributions of different processes to the total temperature changes. We show that the increasing rate of global mean tropospheric temperature was also reduced during the hiatus period. The decomposed trends due to physical processes, including surface albedo, water vapour, cloud, surface turbulent fluxes and atmospheric dynamics, reversed the patterns between the two periods. The changes in atmospheric heat transport are coupled with changes in the surface latent heat flux across the lower troposphere (below approximately 800 hPa) and with cloud-related processes in the upper troposphere (above approximately 600 hPa) and were underpinned by strengthening/weakening Hadley Circulation and Walker Circulation during the warming/hiatus period. This dynamical coupling experienced a phase transition between the two periods, reminding us of the importance of understanding the atmospheric footprint, which constitutes an essential part of internal climate variability. PMID:28084457

Comparing the Atmospheric Losses at Io and Europa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dols, V. J.; Bagenal, F.; Crary, F. J.; Cassidy, T.

2017-12-01

At Io and Europa, the interaction of the Jovian plasma with the moon atmosphere leads to a significant loss of atomic/molecular neutrals and ions to space. The processes that lead to atmospheric escape are diverse: atmospheric sputtering, molecular dissociation, molecular ion recombination, Jeans escape etc. Each process leads to neutrals escaping at different velocities (i.e. electron impact dissociation leads to very slow atomic neutrals, sputtering might eject faster molecular neutrals). Some neutrals will be ejected out of the Jovian system; others will form extended neutral clouds along the orbit of the moons. These atomic/molecular extended neutral clouds are probably the main source of plasma for the Jovian magnetosphere. They are difficult to observe directly thus their composition and density are still poorly constrained. A future modeling of the formation of these extended clouds requires an estimate of their atmospheric sources. We estimate the atmospheric losses at Io and Europa for each loss process with a multi-species chemistry model, using a prescribed atmospheric distribution consistent with the observations. We compare the neutral losses at Io and Europa.

Validation of Atmosphere/Ionosphere Signals Associated with Major Earthquakes by Multi-Instrument Space-Borne and Ground Observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ouzounov, Dimitar; Pulinets, Sergey; Hattori, Katsumi; Parrot, Michel; Liu, J. Y.; Yang, T. F.; Arellano-Baeza, Alonso; Kafatos, M.; Taylor, Patrick

2012-01-01

The latest catastrophic earthquake in Japan (March 2011) has renewed interest in the important question of the existence of pre-earthquake anomalous signals related to strong earthquakes. Recent studies have shown that there were precursory atmospheric/ionospheric signals observed in space associated with major earthquakes. The critical question, still widely debated in the scientific community, is whether such ionospheric/atmospheric signals systematically precede large earthquakes. To address this problem we have started to investigate anomalous ionospheric / atmospheric signals occurring prior to large earthquakes. We are studying the Earth's atmospheric electromagnetic environment by developing a multisensor model for monitoring the signals related to active tectonic faulting and earthquake processes. The integrated satellite and terrestrial framework (ISTF) is our method for validation and is based on a joint analysis of several physical and environmental parameters (thermal infrared radiation, electron concentration in the ionosphere, lineament analysis, radon/ion activities, air temperature and seismicity) that were found to be associated with earthquakes. A physical link between these parameters and earthquake processes has been provided by the recent version of Lithosphere-Atmosphere-Ionosphere Coupling (LAIC) model. Our experimental measurements have supported the new theoretical estimates of LAIC hypothesis for an increase in the surface latent heat flux, integrated variability of outgoing long wave radiation (OLR) and anomalous variations of the total electron content (TEC) registered over the epicenters. Some of the major earthquakes are accompanied by an intensification of gas migration to the surface, thermodynamic and hydrodynamic processes of transformation of latent heat into thermal energy and with vertical transport of charged aerosols in the lower atmosphere. These processes lead to the generation of external electric currents in specific regions of the atmosphere and the modifications, by dc electric fields, in the ionosphere-atmosphere electric circuit. We retrospectively analyzed temporal and spatial variations of four different physical parameters (gas/radon counting rate, lineaments change, long-wave radiation transitions and ionospheric electron density/plasma variations) characterizing the state of the lithosphere/atmosphere coupling several days before the onset of the earthquakes. Validation processes consist in two phases: A. Case studies for seven recent major earthquakes: Japan (M9.0, 2011), China (M7.9, 2008), Italy (M6.3, 2009), Samoa (M7, 2009), Haiti (M7.0, 2010) and, Chile (M8.8, 2010) and B. A continuous retrospective analysis was preformed over two different regions with high seismicity- Taiwan and Japan for 2003-2009. Satellite, ground surface, and troposphere data were obtained from Terra/ASTER, Aqua/AIRS, POES and ionospheric variations from DEMETER and COSMIC-I data. Radon and GPS/TEC were obtaining from monitoring sites in Taiwan, Japan and Italy and from global ionosphere maps (GIM) respectively. Our analysis of ground and satellite data during the occurrence of 7 global earthquakes has shown the presence of anomalies in the atmosphere. Our results for Tohoku M9.0 earthquake show that on March 7th, 2011 (4 days before the main shock and 1 day before the M7.2 foreshock of March 8, 2011) a rapid increase of emitted infrared radiation was observed by the satellite data and an anomaly was developed near the epicenter. The GPS/TEC data indicate an increase and variation in electron density reaching a maximum value on March 8. From March 3 to 11 a large increase in electron concentration was recorded at all four Japanese ground-based ionosondes, which returned to normal after the main earthquake. Similar approach for analyzing atmospheric and ionospheric parameters has been applied for China (M7.9, 2008), Italy (M6.3, 2009), Samoa (M7, 2009), Haiti (M7.0, 2010) and Chile (M8.8, 2010) eahquakes. Results have revealed the presence of related variations of these parameters implying their connection with the earthquake process. The second phase (B) of this validation included 102 major earthquakes (M>5.9) in Taiwan and Japan. We have found anomalous behavior before all of these events with no false negatives. False alarm ratio for false positives is less then 10% and has been calculated for the same month of the earthquake occurrence for the entire period of analysis (2003-2009). The commonalities for detecting atmospheric/ionospheric anomalies are: i.) Regularly appearance over regions of maximum stress (i.e., along plate boundaries); ii.) Anomaly existence over land and sea; and iii) association with M>5.9 earthquakes not deeper than 100km. Due to their long duration over the same region these anomalies are not consistent with a meteorological origin. Our initial results from the ISTF validation of multi-instrument space-borne and ground observations show a systematic appearance of atmospheric anomalies near the epicentral area, one to seven (average) days prior to the largest earthquakes, and suggest that it could be explained by a coupling process between the observed physical parameters and the pre-earthquake preparation processes.

40 CFR 61.52 - Emission standard.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... standard. (a) Emissions to the atmosphere from mercury ore processing facilities and mercury cell chlor... atmosphere from sludge incineration plants, sludge drying plants, or a combination of these that process...

40 CFR 61.52 - Emission standard.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... standard. (a) Emissions to the atmosphere from mercury ore processing facilities and mercury cell chlor... atmosphere from sludge incineration plants, sludge drying plants, or a combination of these that process...

40 CFR 61.52 - Emission standard.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... standard. (a) Emissions to the atmosphere from mercury ore processing facilities and mercury cell chlor... atmosphere from sludge incineration plants, sludge drying plants, or a combination of these that process...

40 CFR 61.52 - Emission standard.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... standard. (a) Emissions to the atmosphere from mercury ore processing facilities and mercury cell chlor... atmosphere from sludge incineration plants, sludge drying plants, or a combination of these that process...

On the role of electron-driven processes in planetary atmospheres and comets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Campbell, L.; Brunger, M. J.

2009-11-01

After the presence of ionized layers in the Earth's atmosphere was inferred, it took 50 years to quantitatively understand them. The electron density could not be accounted for until Sir David Bates first suggested (along with Sir Harrie Massey) that the main electron-loss process was dissociative recombination with molecular ions, and he and colleagues then developed a theory to predict those rates of dissociative recombination. However, electron impact processes, particularly excitation, have been considered insignificant in most situations, in both planetary and cometary atmospheres. Here we describe cases where recent calculations have shown that electron impact excitation of molecules is important, suggesting that, just as in the time of Sir David Bates, electron-driven processes remain fundamental to our quantitative understanding of atmospheric and cometary phenomena.

Atmospheric Dissolved Iron Depostiion to the Global Oceans: Effects of Oxalate-Promoted Fe Dissolution, Photochemical Redox Cycling, and Dust Mineralogy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, M. S.; Meskhidze, N.

2013-01-01

Mineral dust deposition is suggested to be a significant atmospheric supply pathway of bioavailable iron (Fe) to Fe-depleted surface oceans. In this study, mineral dust and dissolved Fe (Fed) deposition rates are predicted for March 2009 to February 2010 using the 3-D chemical transport model GEOS-Chem implemented with a comprehensive dust-Fe dissolution scheme. The model simulates Fed production during the atmospheric transport of mineral dust taking into account inorganic and organic (oxalate)-promoted Fe dissolution processes, photochemical redox cycling between ferric (Fe(III)) and ferrous (Fe(II)) forms of Fe, dissolution of three different Fe-containing minerals (hematite, goethite, and aluminosilicates), and detailed mineralogy of windblown dust from the major desert regions. Our calculations suggest that during the yearlong simulation is approximately 0.26 Tg (1 Tg = 1012 g) of Fed was deposited to global oceanic regions. Compared to simulations only taking into account proton-promoted Fe dissolution, the addition of oxalate to the dust-Fe mobilization scheme increased total annual model-predicted Fed deposition to global oceanic regions by approximately 75%. The implementation of Fe(II)/Fe(III) photochemical redox cycling in the model allows for the distinction between different oxidation states of deposited Fed. Our calculations suggest that during the daytime, large fractions of Fed deposited to the global oceans is likely to be in Fe(II) form, while nocturnal fluxes of Fed are largely in Fe(III) form. Model simulations also show that atmospheric fluxes of Fed can be strongly influenced by the mineralogy of Fe-containing compounds. This study shows that Fed deposition to the oceans is controlled by total dust-Fe mass concentrations, mineralogy, the surface area of dust particles, atmospheric chemical composition, cloud processing, and meteorological parameters and exhibits complex and spatiotemporally variable patterns. Our study suggests that the explicit model representation of individual processes leading to Fed production within mineral dust are needed to improve the understanding of the atmospheric Fe cycle, and quantify the effect of dust-Fe on ocean biological productivity, carbon cycle, and climate.

Processes regulating nitric oxide emissions from soils.

PubMed

Pilegaard, Kim

2013-07-05

Nitric oxide (NO) is a reactive gas that plays an important role in atmospheric chemistry by influencing the production and destruction of ozone and thereby the oxidizing capacity of the atmosphere. NO also contributes by its oxidation products to the formation of acid rain. The major sources of NO in the atmosphere are anthropogenic emissions (from combustion of fossil fuels) and biogenic emission from soils. NO is both produced and consumed in soils as a result of biotic and abiotic processes. The main processes involved are microbial nitrification and denitrification, and chemodenitrification. Thus, the net result is complex and dependent on several factors such as nitrogen availability, organic matter content, oxygen status, soil moisture, pH and temperature. This paper reviews recent knowledge on processes forming NO in soils and the factors controlling its emission to the atmosphere. Schemes for simulating these processes are described, and the results are discussed with the purpose of scaling up to global emission.

UV Signatures of Ices: Moons in the Solar System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hendrix, A. R.; Hansen, C. J.; Retherford, K. D.; Vilas, F.

2017-12-01

Using Earth-orbiting telescopes such as the International Ultraviolet Explorer and the Hubble Space Telescope, significant advances have been made in the area of ultraviolet observations of solar system objects. More in-depth studies have been made using interplanetary probes such as Galileo, Cassini and Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO). While the UV spectral range has traditionally been used to study atmospheric and auroral processes, there is much to be learned by examining solid surfaces in the UV, including surface composition, weathering processes and effects, and the generation of thin atmospheres. Here we focus on moons in the solar system, including Earth's moon and the Saturnian satellites. The diagnostic UV signature of H2O is used to study ice in the lunar polar regions as well as hydration at lower latitudes, in observations from LRO LAMP. The water ice signature is nearly ubiquitous in the Saturn system; Cassini UVIS datasets are used to study grain sizes, exogenic processes/effects and non-ice species.

Improvements and limitations on understanding of atmospheric processes of Fukushima Daiichi NPS radioactivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamazawa, Hiromi; Terasaka, Yuta; Mizutani, Kenta; Sugiura, Hiroki; Hirao, Shigekazu

2017-04-01

Understanding on the release of radioactivity into the atmosphere from the accidental units of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station have been improved owing to recent analyses of atmospheric concentrations of radionuclide. Our analysis of gamma-ray spectra from monitoring posts located about 100 km to the south of the site revealed temporal changes of atmospheric concentrations of several key nuclides including noble gas Xe-133 in addition to radio-iodine and cesium nuclides, including I-131 and Cs-137, at a 10 minute interval. By using the atmospheric concentration data, in combination with an inverse atmospheric transport modelling with a Bayesian statistical method, a modification was proposed for the widely used Katata's source term. A source term for Xe-133 was also proposed. Although the atmospheric concentration data and the source terms help us understand the atmospheric transport processes of radionuclides, they still have significant uncertainty due to limitations in availability of the concentration data. There still remain limitations in the atmospheric transport modeling. The largest uncertainty in the model is in the deposition processes. It had been pointed out that, in the 100 km range from the accidental site, there were locations at which the ambient dose rate significantly increased a few hours before precipitation detectors recorded the start of rain. According to our analysis, the dose rate increase was not directly caused by the air-borne radioactivity but by deposition. This phenomenon can be attributed to a deposition process in which evaporating precipitation enhances efficiency of deposition even in a case where no precipitation is observed at ground level.

Atmospheric Processing of Perovskite Solar Cells Using Intense Pulsed Light Sintering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ankireddy, Krishnamraju; Lavery, Brandon W.; Druffel, Thad

2018-02-01

Atmospheric processing of metal-organic halide perovskite materials is highly desirable for large-scale manufacturing of solar cells. Atmospheric deposition and thermal processing of perovskite thin films for photovoltaic applications facilitated via rapid intense pulsed light (IPL) processing have been carried out. The interplay between the deposition chemistry, process, and IPL parameters to produce a functional photoactive thin film is discussed. Further addition of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as functional surfactant is explored to influence grain growth during the IPL process. Structural analysis by x-ray diffraction revealed formation of mixed-phase perovskite crystals from methylammonium chloride and lead iodide precursors. Ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy indicated that the light absorption by the perovskite films lay within a narrow band of the visible spectrum with bandgap of 2.9 eV. Scanning electron microscopy characterization of the surface morphology of the perovskite films revealed that addition of PVP to the ink chemistry assisted the IPL process in forming a fully covered surface with clearly defined grains. Functional devices with perovskite thin film processed by IPL under fully atmospheric conditions were demonstrated.

Novel wavelength diversity technique for high-speed atmospheric turbulence compensation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arrasmith, William W.; Sullivan, Sean F.

2010-04-01

The defense, intelligence, and homeland security communities are driving a need for software dominant, real-time or near-real time atmospheric turbulence compensated imagery. The development of parallel processing capabilities are finding application in diverse areas including image processing, target tracking, pattern recognition, and image fusion to name a few. A novel approach to the computationally intensive case of software dominant optical and near infrared imaging through atmospheric turbulence is addressed in this paper. Previously, the somewhat conventional wavelength diversity method has been used to compensate for atmospheric turbulence with great success. We apply a new correlation based approach to the wavelength diversity methodology using a parallel processing architecture enabling high speed atmospheric turbulence compensation. Methods for optical imaging through distributed turbulence are discussed, simulation results are presented, and computational and performance assessments are provided.

Virtual Exploitation Environment Demonstration for Atmospheric Missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Natali, Stefano; Mantovani, Simone; Hirtl, Marcus; Santillan, Daniel; Triebnig, Gerhard; Fehr, Thorsten; Lopes, Cristiano

2017-04-01

The scientific and industrial communities are being confronted with a strong increase of Earth Observation (EO) satellite missions and related data. This is in particular the case for the Atmospheric Sciences communities, with the upcoming Copernicus Sentinel-5 Precursor, Sentinel-4, -5 and -3, and ESA's Earth Explorers scientific satellites ADM-Aeolus and EarthCARE. The challenge is not only to manage the large volume of data generated by each mission / sensor, but to process and analyze the data streams. Creating synergies among the different datasets will be key to exploit the full potential of the available information. As a preparation activity supporting scientific data exploitation for Earth Explorer and Sentinel atmospheric missions, ESA funded the "Technology and Atmospheric Mission Platform" (TAMP) [1] [2] project; a scientific and technological forum (STF) has been set-up involving relevant European entities from different scientific and operational fields to define the platforḿs requirements. Data access, visualization, processing and download services have been developed to satisfy useŕs needs; use cases defined with the STF, such as study of the SO2 emissions for the Holuhraun eruption (2014) by means of two numerical models, two satellite platforms and ground measurements, global Aerosol analyses from long time series of satellite data, and local Aerosol analysis using satellite and LIDAR, have been implemented to ensure acceptance of TAMP by the atmospheric sciences community. The platform pursues the "virtual workspace" concept: all resources (data, processing, visualization, collaboration tools) are provided as "remote services", accessible through a standard web browser, to avoid the download of big data volumes and for allowing utilization of provided infrastructure for computation, analysis and sharing of results. Data access and processing are achieved through standardized protocols (WCS, WPS). As evolution toward a pre-operational environment, the "Virtual Exploitation Environment Demonstration for Atmospheric Missions" (VEEDAM) aims at maintaining, running and evolving the platform, demonstrating e.g. the possibility to perform massive processing over heterogeneous data sources. This work presents the VEEDAM concepts, provides pre-operational examples, stressing on the interoperability achievable exposing standardized data access and processing services (e.g. making accessible data and processing resources from different VREs). [1] TAMP platform landing page http://vtpip.zamg.ac.at/ [2] TAMP introductory video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWiy8h1oXQY

Research and technology, fiscal year 1982

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1982-01-01

Advanced studies are reviewed. Atmospheric sciences, magnetospheric physics, solar physics, gravitational physics, astronomy, and materials processing in space comprise the research programs. Large space systems, propulsion technology, materials and processes, electrical/electronic systems, data bases/design criteria, and facilities development comprise the technology development activities.

BIOGENIC HYDROCARBONS IN THE ATMOSPHERIC BOUNDARY LAYER: A REVIEW

EPA Science Inventory

Nonmethane hydrocarbons are ubiquitous trace atmospheric constituents yet they control the oxidation capacity of the atmosphere. Both anthropogenic and biogenic processes contribute to the release of hydrocarbons to the atmosphere. In this manuscript, the state of the science ...

Heterogeneous nucleation and its relationship to precipitation type. Technical memo

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Smith, G.

1995-04-01

The purpose of this study is to present important elements of cloud microphysics that will be useful to the operational meteorologist in determining precipitation type. Synoptic-scale environments and vertical atmospheric structures of cases, where freezing precipitation occurred, will be examined. Furthermore, only cases in which the entire depth of the troposphere was below freezing are studied. The absences of lower tropospheric warm layers (above freezing) suggest that the primary atmospheric process that influenced precipitation type was heterogeneous nucleation rather than melting.

Middle Atmosphere Cooperation/Summer in Northern Europe (MAC/SINE) and MAC/Epsilon

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thrane, E. V.

1989-01-01

Two major international campaigns dedicated to the study of middle atmosphere dynamics in high latitudes were successfully completed in 1987. MAC/SINE (Middle Atmosphere Cooperation/Summer in Northern Europe) was carried out during the period 7 June to 19 July, whereas MAC/Epsilon took place in the period 12 October to 15 November. In both campaigns a large number of ground based and rocket techniques were used in a concerted effort to map the dynamical structure of the middle atmosphere over Northern Europe. Although the analysis of the observations has only just started, it is clear that a large and unique data set was obtained, which is believed will provide new insight into the dynamical processes in this interesting region of the atmosphere. A brief overview of the campaigns, their scientific aims, organization and structure is presented.

Design and Demonstration of a Miniature Lidar System for Rover Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Robinson, Benjamin

2011-01-01

Public awareness of harmful human environmental effects such as global warming has increased greatly in recent years and researchers have increased their efforts in gaining more knowledge about the Earth s atmosphere. Natural and man-made processes pose threats to the environment and human life, so knowledge of all atmospheric processes is necessary. Ozone and aerosols are important factors in many atmospheric processes and active remote sensing techniques provide a way to analyze their quantity and distribution. A compact ground-based lidar system for a robotic platform meant for atmospheric aerosol measurements was designed, tested, and evaluated. The system will eventually be deployed for ozone and aerosol measurements in Mars and lunar missions to improve our knowledge and understanding of atmospheres on Mars and the Moon. All of the major subsystems were described in detail and atmospheric testing was performed to test the operability of the receiver system to acquire the lidar return signal from clouds and aerosols. The measured backscattered results are discussed and compared with theoretical results.

Investigation of dynamic noise affecting geodynamics information in a tethered subsatellite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gullahorn, G. E.

1985-01-01

Work performed as part of an investigation of noise affecting instrumentation in a tethered subsatellite, was studied. The following specific topics were addressed during the reporting period: a method for stabilizing the subsatellite against the rotational effects of atmospheric perturbation was developed; a variety of analytic studies of tether dynamics aimed at elucidating dynamic noise processes were performed; a novel mechanism for coupling longitudinal and latitudinal oscillations of the tether was discovered, and random vibration analysis for modeling the tethered subsatellite under atmospheric perturbation were studied.

Atmospheric noble gases in Mid-Ocean Ridge Basalts: Identification of atmospheric contamination processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roubinet, Claire; Moreira, Manuel A.

2018-02-01

Noble gases in oceanic basalts always show the presence in variable proportions of a component having elemental and isotopic compositions that are similar to those of the atmosphere and distinct from the mantle composition. Although this component could be mantle-derived (e.g. subduction of air or seawater-derived noble gases trapped in altered oceanic crust and sediments), it is most often suggested that this air component is added after sample collection and probably during storage at ambient air, although the mechanism remains unknown. In an attempt to reduce this atmospheric component observed in MORBs, four experimental protocols have been followed in this study. These protocols are based on the hypothesis that air can be removed from the samples, as it appears to be sheltered in distinct vesicles compared to those filled with mantle gases. All of the protocols involve a glove box filled with nitrogen, and in certain cases, the samples are stored under primary vacuum (lower than 10-2 mbar) to pump air out or, alternatively, under high pressure of N2 to expel atmospheric noble gases. In all protocols, three components are observed: atmospheric, fractionated atmospheric and magmatic. The fractionated air component seems to be derived from the non-vitreous part of the pillow-lava, which has cooled more slowly. This component is enriched in Ne relative to Ar, reflecting a diffusive process. This contaminant has already been observed in other studies and thus seems to be relatively common. Although it is less visible, unfractionated air has also been detected in some crushing steps, which tends to indicate that despite the experiments, air is still present in the vesicles. This result is surprising, since studies have demonstrated that atmospheric contamination could be limited if samples were stored under nitrogen quickly after their recovery from the seafloor. Thus, the failure of the protocols could be explained by the insufficient duration of these protocols or by the inaccessibility of vesicles filled with air as assessed by (Ballentine and Barfod, 2000).

Morphology and mixing state of atmospheric particles: Links to optical properties and cloud processing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

China, Swarup

Atmospheric particles are ubiquitous in Earth's atmosphere and impact the environment and the climate while affecting human health and Earth's radiation balance, and degrading visibility. Atmospheric particles directly affect our planet's radiation budget by scattering and absorbing solar radiation, and indirectly by interacting with clouds. Single particle morphology (shape, size and internal structure) and mixing state (coating by organic and inorganic material) can significantly influence the particle optical properties as well as various microphysical processes, involving cloud-particle interactions and including heterogeneous ice nucleation and water uptake. Conversely, aerosol cloud processing can affect the morphology and mixing of the particles. For example, fresh soot has typically an open fractal-like structure, but aging and cloud processing can restructure soot into more compacted shapes, with different optical and ice nucleation properties. During my graduate research, I used an array of electron microscopy and image analysis tools to study morphology and mixing state of a large number of individual particles collected during several field and laboratory studies. To this end, I investigated various types of particles such as tar balls (spherical carbonaceous particles emitted during biomass burning) and dust particles, but with a special emphasis on soot particles. In addition, I used the Stony Brook ice nucleation cell facility to investigate heterogeneous ice nucleation and water uptake by long-range transported particles collected at the Pico Mountain Observatory, in the Archipelago of the Azores. Finally, I used ice nucleation data from the SAAS (Soot Aerosol Aging Study) chamber study at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory to understand the effects that ice nucleation and supercooled water processing has on the morphology of residual soot particles. Some highlights of our findings and implications are discussed next. We found that the morphology of fresh soot emitted by vehicles depends on the driving conditions (i.e.; the vehicle specific power). Soot emitted by biomass burning is often heavily coated by other materials while processing of soot in urban environment exhibits complex mixing. We also found that long-range transported soot over the ocean after atmospheric processing is very compacted. In addition, our results suggest that freezing process can facilitate restructuring of soot and results into collapsed soot. Furthermore, numerical simulations showed strong influence on optical properties when fresh open fractal-like soot evolved to collapsed soot. Further investigation of long-range transported aged particles exhibits that they are efficient in water uptake and can induce ice nucleation in colder temperature. Our results have implications for assessing the impact of the morphology and mixing state of soot particles on human health, environment and climate. Our findings can provide guidance to numerical models such as particle-resolved mixing state models to account for, and better understand, vehicular emissions and soot evolution since its emission to atmospheric processing in urban environment and finally in remote regions after long-range transport. Morphology and mixing state information can be used to model observational-constrained optical properties. The details of morphology and mixing state of soot particles are crucial to assess the accuracy of climate models in describing the contribution of soot radiative forcing and their direct and indirect climate effects. Finally, our observations of ice nucleation ability by aged particles show that nucleated particles are internally mixed and coated with several materials.

Biological response to coastal upwelling and dust deposition in the area off Northwest Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ohde, T.; Siegel, H.

2010-05-01

Nutrient supply in the area off Northwest Africa is mainly regulated by two processes, coastal upwelling and deposition of Saharan dust. In the present study, both processes were analyzed and evaluated by different methods, including cross-correlation, multiple correlation, and event statistics, using remotely sensed proxies of the period from 2000 to 2008 to investigate their influence on the marine environment. The remotely sensed chlorophyll- a concentration was used as a proxy for the phytoplankton biomass stimulated by nutrient supply into the euphotic zone from deeper water layers and from the atmosphere. Satellite-derived alongshore wind stress and sea-surface temperature were applied as proxies for the strength and reflection of coastal upwelling processes. The westward wind and the dust component of the aerosol optical depth describe the transport direction of atmospheric dust and the atmospheric dust column load. Alongshore wind stress and induced upwelling processes were most significantly responsible for the surface chlorophyll- a variability, accounting for about 24% of the total variance, mainly in the winter and spring due to the strong north-easterly trade winds. The remotely sensed proxies allowed determination of time lags between biological response and its forcing processes. A delay of up to 16 days in the surface chlorophyll- a concentration due to the alongshore wind stress was determined in the northern winter and spring. Although input of atmospheric iron by dust storms can stimulate new phytoplankton production in the study area, only 5% of the surface chlorophyll- a variability could be ascribed to the dust component in the aerosol optical depth. All strong desert storms were identified by an event statistics in the time period from 2000 to 2008. The 57 strong storms were studied in relation to their biological response. Six events were clearly detected in which an increase of chlorophyll- a was caused by Saharan dust input and not by coastal upwelling processes. Time lags of <8 days, 8 days, and 16 days were determined. An increase in surface chlorophyll- a concentration of up to 2.4 mg m -3 after dust storms in which the dust component of the aerosol optical depth was up to 0.9 was observed.

Atmosphere-Ocean Coupling through Trace Gases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tegtmeier, S.; Atlas, E. L.; Krüger, K.; Lennartz, S. T.; Marandino, C. A.; Patra, P. K.; Quack, B.; Schlundt, C.

2017-12-01

Halogen- and sulfur-containing trace gases, as well as other volatile organic compounds (VOCs, such as isoprene) from biogeochemical marine sources are important constituents of the ocean and the atmosphere. These compounds exert wide-ranging influence on atmospheric chemical processes and climate interactions, as well as on human health in coastal regions. In their reactive form, they can affect the oxidizing capacity of the air and lead to the formation of new particles or the growth of existing ones. In this contribution, marine derived halogen-, sulfur-, and oxygen-containing compounds will be discussed. Their net flux into the atmosphere and their impact on atmospheric processes is analyzed based on observations and model simulations.

Overview of the LADEE Ultraviolet-visible Spectrometer: Design, Performance and Planned Operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Colaprete, A.; Elphic, R. C.; Landis, D.; Karcz, J.; Osetinsky, L.; Shirley, M.; Vargo, K.; Wooden, D.

2013-01-01

The Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) is an orbital lunar science mission currently under development to address the goals of the 2003 National Research Council decadal survey, the Lunar Exploration Analysis Group Roadmap, and the "Scientific Context for Exploration of the Moon" (SCEM) report, and has been recommended for execution by the 2011 Planetary Missions Decadal Survey. The mission s focus is to study the pristine state of the lunar atmosphere and dust environment prior to possible lunar exploration activities by countries, including the United States, China, India, and Japan, among others. Activity on the lunar surface has the potential of altering the tenuous lunar atmosphere, but changing the type and concentration of gases in the atmosphere. Before these activities occur it is important to make measurements of the current lunar atmosphere in its unmodified state. LADEE will determine the composition of the lunar atmosphere and investigate the processes that control its distribution and variability, including sources, sinks, and surface interactions. It will monitor variations in known gases, such as sodium, potassium, argon and helium, and will search for other, as-yet-undetected gases of both lunar and extra-lunar origin. LADEE will also determine whether dust is present in the lunar exosphere, and reveal the processes that contribute to its sources and variability. Launch is planned for August, 2013.

Plutonium in the atmosphere: A global perspective.

PubMed

Thakur, P; Khaing, H; Salminen-Paatero, S

2017-09-01

A number of potential source terms have contributed plutonium isotopes to the atmosphere. The atmospheric nuclear weapon tests conducted between 1945 and 1980 and the re-entry of the burned SNAP-9A satellite in 1964, respectively. It is generally believed that current levels of plutonium in the stratosphere are negligible and compared with the levels generally found at surface-level air. In this study, the time trend analysis and long-term behavior of plutonium isotopes ( 239+240 Pu and 238 Pu) in the atmosphere were assessed using historical data collected by various national and international monitoring networks since 1960s. An analysis of historical data indicates that 239+240 Pu concentration post-1984 is still frequently detectable, whereas 238 Pu is detected infrequently. Furthermore, the seasonal and time-trend variation of plutonium concentration in surface air followed the stratospheric trends until the early 1980s. After the last Chinese test of 1980, the plutonium concentrations in surface air dropped to the current levels, suggesting that the observed concentrations post-1984 have not been under stratospheric control, but rather reflect the environmental processes such as resuspension. Recent plutonium atmospheric air concentrations data show that besides resuspension, other environmental processes such as global dust storms and biomass burning/wildfire also play an important role in redistributing plutonium in the atmosphere. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Inter-annual changes in detritus-based food chains can enhance plant growth response to elevated atmospheric CO2.

PubMed

Hines, Jes; Eisenhauer, Nico; Drake, Bert G

2015-12-01

Elevated atmospheric CO2 generally enhances plant growth, but the magnitude of the effects depend, in part, on nutrient availability and plant photosynthetic pathway. Due to their pivotal role in nutrient cycling, changes in abundance of detritivores could influence the effects of elevated atmospheric CO2 on essential ecosystem processes, such as decomposition and primary production. We conducted a field survey and a microcosm experiment to test the influence of changes in detritus-based food chains on litter mass loss and plant growth response to elevated atmospheric CO2 using two wetland plants: a C3 sedge (Scirpus olneyi) and a C4 grass (Spartina patens). Our field study revealed that organism's sensitivity to climate increased with trophic level resulting in strong inter-annual variation in detritus-based food chain length. Our microcosm experiment demonstrated that increased detritivore abundance could not only enhance decomposition rates, but also enhance plant growth of S. olneyi in elevated atmospheric CO2 conditions. In contrast, we found no evidence that changes in the detritus-based food chains influenced the growth of S. patens. Considered together, these results emphasize the importance of approaches that unite traditionally subdivided food web compartments and plant physiological processes to understand inter-annual variation in plant production response to elevated atmospheric CO2. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Fiber-Optic Coupled Lidar Receiver System to Measure Stratospheric Ozone

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harper, David Brent; Elsayed-Ali, Hani

1998-01-01

The measurement of ozone in the atmosphere has become increasingly important over the past two decades. Significant increases of ozone concentrations in the lower atmosphere, or troposphere, and decreases in the upper atmosphere, or stratosphere, have been attributed to man-made causes. High ozone concentrations in the troposphere pose a health hazard to plants and animals and can add to global warming. On the other hand, ozone in the stratosphere serves as a protective barrier against strong ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun. Man-made CFC's (chlorofluorocarbons) act as a catalyst with a free oxygen atom and an ozone molecule to produce two oxygen molecules therefore depleting the protective layer of ozone in the stratosphere. The beneficial and harmful effects of ozone require the study of ozone creation and destruction processes in the atmosphere. Therefore, to provide an accurate model of these processes, an ozone lidar system must be able to be used frequently with as large a measurement range as possible. Various methods can be used to measure atmospheric ozone concentrations. These include different airborne and balloon measurements, solar occulation satellite techniques, and the use of lasers in lidar (high detection and ranging,) systems to probe the atmosphere. Typical devices such as weather balloons can only measure within the direct vicinity of the instrument and are therefore used infrequently. Satellites use solar occulation techniques that yield low horizontal and vertical resolution column densities of ozone.

Highlights in the study of exoplanet atmospheres

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burrows, Adam S.

2014-09-01

Exoplanets are now being discovered in profusion. To understand their character, however, we require spectral models and data. These elements of remote sensing can yield temperatures, compositions and even weather patterns, but only if significant improvements in both the parameter retrieval process and measurements are made. Despite heroic efforts to garner constraining data on exoplanet atmospheres and dynamics, reliable interpretation has frequently lagged behind ambition. I summarize the most productive, and at times novel, methods used to probe exoplanet atmospheres; highlight some of the most interesting results obtained; and suggest various broad theoretical topics in which further work could pay significant dividends.

Effects of pulse width and coding on radar returns from clear air

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cornish, C. R.

1983-01-01

In atmospheric radar studies it is desired to obtain maximum information about the atmosphere and to use efficiently the radar transmitter and processing hardware. Large pulse widths are used to increase the signal to noise ratio since clear air returns are generally weak and maximum height coverage is desired. Yet since good height resolution is equally important, pulse compression techniques such as phase coding are employed to optimize the average power of the transmitter. Considerations in implementing a coding scheme and subsequent effects of an impinging pulse on the atmosphere are investigated.

Insight into Chemistry on Cloud/Aerosol Water Surfaces.

PubMed

Zhong, Jie; Kumar, Manoj; Francisco, Joseph S; Zeng, Xiao Cheng

2018-05-15

Cloud/aerosol water surfaces exert significant influence over atmospheric chemical processes. Atmospheric processes at the water surface are observed to follow mechanisms that are quite different from those in the gas phase. This Account summarizes our recent findings of new reaction pathways on the water surface. We have studied these surface reactions using Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics simulations. These studies provide useful information on the reaction time scale, the underlying mechanism of surface reactions, and the dynamic behavior of the product formed on the aqueous surface. According to these studies, the aerosol water surfaces confine the atmospheric species into a specific orientation depending on the hydrophilicity of atmospheric species or the hydrogen-bonding interactions between atmospheric species and interfacial water. As a result, atmospheric species are activated toward a particular reaction on the aerosol water surface. For example, the simplest Criegee intermediate (CH 2 OO) exhibits high reactivity toward the interfacial water and hydrogen sulfide, with the reaction times being a few picoseconds, 2-3 orders of magnitude faster than that in the gas phase. The presence of interfacial water molecules induces proton-transfer-based stepwise pathways for these reactions, which are not possible in the gas phase. The strong hydrophobicity of methyl substituents in larger Criegee intermediates (>C1), such as CH 3 CHOO and (CH 3 ) 2 COO, blocks the formation of the necessary prereaction complexes for the Criegee-water reaction to occur at the water droplet surface, which lowers their proton-transfer ability and hampers the reaction. The aerosol water surface provides a solvent medium for acids (e.g., HNO 3 and HCOOH) to participate in reactions via mechanisms that are different from those in the gas and bulk aqueous phases. For example, the anti-CH 3 CHOO-HNO 3 reaction in the gas phase follows a direct reaction between anti-CH 3 CHOO and HNO 3 , whereas on a water surface, the HNO 3 -mediated stepwise hydration of anti-CH 3 CHOO is dominantly observed. The high surface/volume ratio of interfacial water molecules at the aerosol water surface can significantly lower the energy barriers for the proton transfer reactions in the atmosphere. Such catalysis by the aerosol water surface is shown to cause the barrier-less formation of ammonium bisulfate from hydrated NH 3 and SO 3 molecules rather than from the reaction of H 2 SO 4 with NH 3 . Finally, an aerosol water droplet is a polar solvent, which would favorably interact with high polarity substrates. This can accelerate interconversion of different conformers (e.g., anti and syn) of atmospheric species, such as glyoxal, depending on their polarity. The results discussed here enable an improved understanding of atmospheric processes on the aerosol water surface.

SURFEX v8.0 interface with OASIS3-MCT to couple atmosphere with hydrology, ocean, waves and sea-ice models, from coastal to global scales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Voldoire, Aurore; Decharme, Bertrand; Pianezze, Joris; Lebeaupin Brossier, Cindy; Sevault, Florence; Seyfried, Léo; Garnier, Valérie; Bielli, Soline; Valcke, Sophie; Alias, Antoinette; Accensi, Mickael; Ardhuin, Fabrice; Bouin, Marie-Noëlle; Ducrocq, Véronique; Faroux, Stéphanie; Giordani, Hervé; Léger, Fabien; Marsaleix, Patrick; Rainaud, Romain; Redelsperger, Jean-Luc; Richard, Evelyne; Riette, Sébastien

2017-11-01

This study presents the principles of the new coupling interface based on the SURFEX multi-surface model and the OASIS3-MCT coupler. As SURFEX can be plugged into several atmospheric models, it can be used in a wide range of applications, from global and regional coupled climate systems to high-resolution numerical weather prediction systems or very fine-scale models dedicated to process studies. The objective of this development is to build and share a common structure for the atmosphere-surface coupling of all these applications, involving on the one hand atmospheric models and on the other hand ocean, ice, hydrology, and wave models. The numerical and physical principles of SURFEX interface between the different component models are described, and the different coupled systems in which the SURFEX OASIS3-MCT-based coupling interface is already implemented are presented.

Mars atmospheric losses induced by the solar wind: current knowledge and perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ermakov, Vladimir; Zelenyi, Lev; Vaisberg, Oleg; Sementsov, Egor; Dubinin, Eduard

2017-04-01

Solar wind induced atmospheric losses have been studied since earlier 1970th. Several loss channels have been identified including pick-up of exospheric photo-ions and ionospheric ions escape. Measurements performed during several solar cycles showed variation of these losses by about factor of 10, being largest at maximum solar activity. MAVEN spacecraft equipped with comprehensive set of instruments with high temporal and mass resolution operating at Mars since fall 2014 ensures much better investigation of solar wind enforcing Martian environment, Mars atmospheric losses processes and mass loss rate. These issues are very important for understanding of Martian atmospheric evolution including water loss during cosmogonic time. Simultaneous observations by MAVEN and MEX spacecraft open the new perspective in study of Martian environment. In this report we discuss results of past and current missions and preliminary analysis of heavy ions escape using simultaneous measurements of MEX and MAVEN spacecraft.

Experimental and theoretical studies of near-ground acoustic radiation propagation in the atmosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belov, Vladimir V.; Burkatovskaya, Yuliya B.; Krasnenko, Nikolai P.; Rakov, Aleksandr S.; Rakov, Denis S.; Shamanaeva, Liudmila G.

2017-11-01

Results of experimental and theoretical studies of the process of near-ground propagation of monochromatic acoustic radiation on atmospheric paths from a source to a receiver taking into account the contribution of multiple scattering on fluctuations of atmospheric temperature and wind velocity, refraction of sound on the wind velocity and temperature gradients, and its reflection by the underlying surface for different models of the atmosphere depending the sound frequency, coefficient of reflection from the underlying surface, propagation distance, and source and receiver altitudes are presented. Calculations were performed by the Monte Carlo method using the local estimation algorithm by the computer program developed by the authors. Results of experimental investigations under controllable conditions are compared with theoretical estimates and results of analytical calculations for the Delany-Bazley impedance model. Satisfactory agreement of the data obtained confirms the correctness of the suggested computer program.

Middle Atmosphere Program. Handbook for MAP. Volume 18: Extended abstracts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kato, S. (Editor)

1985-01-01

Various topics related to middle atmosphere research are discussed. Variability of the middle atmosphere during winter, climatology, gravity waves, atmospheric turbulence, transport processes of trace species and aerosols, and research in the Antarctic are among the topics covered.

Impact of Ocean Acidification on Fluxes of non-CO2 Climate-Active Species: Report from the GESAMP WG38 workshop

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suntharalingam, Parvadha; Gehlen, Marion; Hopkins, Frances; Duce, Robert; Jickells, Tim; Gesamp WG38 Workshop, Participants

2017-04-01

Most investigations of the impact of ocean acidification (OA) have focused on changes in oceanic uptake of anthropogenic CO2, the resulting shifts in carbonate chemical equilibria, and the consequences for marine calcifying organisms. Little attention has been paid to the direct impacts of OA on the ocean sources of a range of other gaseous and aerosol species that are influential in regulating radiative forcing, atmospheric oxidising capacity and atmospheric chemistry. The oceanic processes governing emissions of these species are frequently sensitive to the changes in pH and ocean pCO2 accompanying ocean acidification. Such processes include, for example, metabolic rates of microbial activity, levels of surface primary production, ecosystem composition, and photo-chemical and microbially mediated production/loss pathways for individual species. The direct and indirect influences of these factors on oceanic fluxes of non-CO2 trace-gases and aerosols, and the subsequent feedbacks to climate remain highly uncertain. To address these issues UN/GESAMP Working Group 38, The Atmospheric Input of Chemicals to the Ocean, convened a workshop on this topic at the University of East Anglia in February, 2017. The goals of this workshop are to review and synthesize the current science on the direct impacts of ocean acidification on marine emissions to the atmosphere of key species important for climate, and atmospheric chemistry; and to identify the primary needs for new research to improve process understanding and to quantify the impact of ocean acidification on these marine fluxes (i.e., provide recommendations on the specific laboratory process studies, field measurements and model analyses needed to support targeted research activities on this topic). The results, conclusions, and recommendations of this workshop will be presented.

NASA Data Evaluation (2015): Chemical Kinetics and Photochemical Data for Use in Atmospheric Studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burkholder, J. B.; Sander, S. P.; Abbatt, J.; Barker, J. R.; Huie, R. E.; Kolb, C. E., Jr.; Kurylo, M. J., III; Orkin, V. L.; Wilmouth, D. M.; Wine, P. H.

2015-12-01

Atmospheric chemistry models must include a large number of processes to accurately describe the temporal and spatial behavior of atmospheric composition. They require a wide range of chemical and physical data (parameters) that describe elementary gas-phase and heterogeneous processes. The review and evaluation of chemical and physical data has, therefore, played an important role in the development of chemical models and in their use in environmental assessment activities. The NASA data panel evaluation has a broad atmospheric focus that includes Ox, O(1D), singlet O2, HOx, NOx, Organic, FOx, ClOx, BrOx, IOx, SOx, and Na reactions, three-body reactions, equilibrium constants, photochemistry, Henry's Law coefficients, aqueous chemistry, heterogeneous chemistry and processes, and thermodynamic parameters. The 2015 evaluation includes critical coverage of ~700 bimolecular reactions, 86 three-body reactions, 33 equilibrium constants, ~220 photochemical species, ~360 aqueous and heterogeneous processes, and thermodynamic parameters for ~800 species with over 5000 literature citations reviewed. Each evaluation includes (1) recommended values (e.g. rate coefficients, absorption cross sections, solubilities, and uptake coefficients) with estimated uncertainty factors and (2) a note describing the available experimental and theoretical data and an explanation for the recommendation. This presentation highlights some of the recent additions to the evaluation that include: (1) expansion of thermochemical parameters, including Hg species, (2) CH2OO (Criegee) chemistry, (3) Isoprene and its major degradation product chemistry, (4) halocarbon chemistry, (5) Henry's law solubility data, and (6) uptake coefficients. In addition, a listing of complete references with the evaluation notes has been implemented. Users of the data evaluation are encouraged to suggest potential improvements and ways that the evaluation can better serve the atmospheric chemistry community.

Atmospheric Effects of Biomass Burning

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thompson, Anne M.

2000-01-01

Biomass fires are both natural and anthropogenic in origin. The natural trigger is lightning, which leads to mid- and high-latitude fires and episodes of smoke and pollution associated with them. Lightning is also prominent in tropical regions when the dry season gives way to the wet season and lightning in convective systems ignites dry vegetation. Atmospheric consequences of biomass fires are complex. When considering the impacts of fires for a given ecosystem, inputs of fires must be compared to other process that emit trace gases and particles into the atmosphere. Other processes include industrial activity, fires for household purposes and biogenic sources which may themselves interact with fires. That is, fires may promote or restrict biogenic processes. Several books have presented various aspects of fire interactions with atmospheric chemistry and a cross-disciplinary review of a 1992 fire-oriented experiment appears in SAFARI: The Role of southern African Fires in Atmospheric and Ecological Environments. The IGAC/BIBEX core activity (see acronyms at end of Chapter) has sponsored field campaigns that integrate multiple aspects of fires ground-based measurements with an ecological perspective, atmospheric measurements with chemical and meteorological components, and remote sensing. This Chapter presents two aspects of biomass fires and the environment. Namely, the relationship between biomass burning and ozone is described, starting with a brief description of the chemical reactions involved and illustrative measurements and interpretation. Second, because of the need to observe biomass burning and its consequences globally, a summary of remote sensing approaches to the study of fires and trace gases is given. Examples in this Chapter are restricted to tropical burning for matters of brevity and because most burning activity globally is within this zone.

The organism and the habitation atmosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Agadzhanyan, N. A.

1978-01-01

Experimental data is examined on the study of the influence of the different parameters of the atmosphere on the organism for the purpose of making a physiological determination of the permissible oxygen concentrations in inhabited airtight compartments. The application of high oxygen concentrations for respiration and for medical purposes are considered. Data is presented on the evolution of the atmosphere and of the role of O2 in the process of the evolutionary development of living beings; the influence of an organism of an artificial, high and low oxygen concentration atmospheres; the laws of oxygen permeation into fluid media of the organism; the biological role of inert gases; etc. The relationship between the gas medium of habitation and reactivity of the organism is determined.

Clouds in exoplanet atmospheres: comparison of two apparently similar giant planets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bruno, Giovanni; Lewis, Nikole K.; Stevenson, Kevin; Deming, Drake; Filippazzo, Joe; Fraine, Jonathan D.; Hill, Matthew; Kilpatrick, Brian; Line, Michael R.; Morley, Caroline; Wakeford, Hannah; Collins, Karen A.; Conti, Dennis M.; Garlitz, Joseph; Rodriguez, Joseph

2017-06-01

We present a study aimed at a better understanding of the physics of clouds, which have been shown prevalent in hot Jupiter atmospheres. We compare and contrast the atmospheric spectra of WASP-67 b and HAT-P-38 b, part of our HST/WFC3 and Spitzer observation programs of exoplanets in transmission spectroscopy and secondary eclipses. These two planets lie in a very similar region of the equilibrium temperature-surface gravity parameter space and their compared analysis is therefore particularly significant.With the help of retrieval exercises on the molecules characterizing the 1.1-1.7 microns WFC3 spectra, we discuss which conclusions can be drawn about the atmospheric processes of these two giant planets.

Ozone Lidar Observations for Air Quality Studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wang, Lihua; Newchurch, Mike; Kuang, Shi; Burris, John F.; Huang, Guanyu; Pour-Biazar, Arastoo; Koshak, William; Follette-Cook, Melanie B.; Pickering, Kenneth E.; McGee, Thomas J.;

Study on wet scavenging of atmospheric pollutants in south Brazil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wiegand, Flavio; Pereira, Felipe Norte; Teixeira, Elba Calesso

2011-09-01

The present paper presents the study of in-cloud and below-cloud SO 2 and SO 42-scavenging processes by applying numerical models in the Candiota region, located in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, South Brazil. The BRAMS (Brazilian Regional Atmospheric Modeling System) model was applied to simulate the vertical structure of the clouds, and the B.V.2 (Below-Cloud Beheng Version 2) scavenging model was applied to simulate in-cloud and below-cloud scavenging processes of the pollutants SO 2 and SO 42-. Five events in 2004 were selected for this study and were sampled at the Candiota Airport station. The concentrations of SO 2 and SO 42- sampled in the air and the simulated meteorological parameters of rainfall episodes were used as input data in the B.V.2, which simulates raindrop interactions associated with the scavenging process. Results for the Candiota region showed that in-cloud scavenging processes were more significant than below-cloud scavenging processes for two of the five events studied, with a contribution of approximately 90-100% of SO 2 and SO 42- concentrations in rainwater. A few adjustments to the original version of B.V.2 were made to allow simulation of scavenging processes in several types of clouds, not only cumulus humilis and cumulus congestus.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., the Pegasus launch vehicle is moved toward its hangar. The Pegasus will carry the SciSat-1 spacecraft in a 400-mile-high polar orbit to investigate processes that control the distribution of ozone in the upper atmosphere. The scientific mission of SciSat-1 is to measure and understand the chemical processes that control the distribution of ozone in the Earth’s atmosphere, particularly at high altitudes. The data from the satellite will provide Canadian and international scientists with improved measurements relating to global ozone processes and help policymakers assess existing environmental policy and develop protective measures for improving the health of our atmosphere, preventing further ozone depletion. The mission is designed to last two years.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-06-27

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., the Pegasus launch vehicle is moved toward its hangar. The Pegasus will carry the SciSat-1 spacecraft in a 400-mile-high polar orbit to investigate processes that control the distribution of ozone in the upper atmosphere. The scientific mission of SciSat-1 is to measure and understand the chemical processes that control the distribution of ozone in the Earth’s atmosphere, particularly at high altitudes. The data from the satellite will provide Canadian and international scientists with improved measurements relating to global ozone processes and help policymakers assess existing environmental policy and develop protective measures for improving the health of our atmosphere, preventing further ozone depletion. The mission is designed to last two years.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The Pegasus launch vehicle is moved back to its hangar at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. The Pegasus will carry the SciSat-1 spacecraft in a 400-mile-high polar orbit to investigate processes that control the distribution of ozone in the upper atmosphere. The scientific mission of SciSat-1 is to measure and understand the chemical processes that control the distribution of ozone in the Earth’s atmosphere, particularly at high altitudes. The data from the satellite will provide Canadian and international scientists with improved measurements relating to global ozone processes and help policymakers assess existing environmental policy and develop protective measures for improving the health of our atmosphere, preventing further ozone depletion. The mission is designed to last two years.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-06-27

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The Pegasus launch vehicle is moved back to its hangar at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. The Pegasus will carry the SciSat-1 spacecraft in a 400-mile-high polar orbit to investigate processes that control the distribution of ozone in the upper atmosphere. The scientific mission of SciSat-1 is to measure and understand the chemical processes that control the distribution of ozone in the Earth’s atmosphere, particularly at high altitudes. The data from the satellite will provide Canadian and international scientists with improved measurements relating to global ozone processes and help policymakers assess existing environmental policy and develop protective measures for improving the health of our atmosphere, preventing further ozone depletion. The mission is designed to last two years.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The SciSat-1 spacecraft is uncrated at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. SciSat-1 weighs approximately 330 pounds and will be placed in a 400-mile-high polar orbit to investigate processes that control the distribution of ozone in the upper atmosphere. The scientific mission of SciSat-1 is to measure and understand the chemical processes that control the distribution of ozone in the Earth’s atmosphere, particularly at high altitudes. The data from the satellite will provide Canadian and international scientists with improved measurements relating to global ozone processes and help policymakers assess existing environmental policy and develop protective measures for improving the health of our atmosphere, preventing further ozone depletion. The mission is designed to last two years.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-06-26

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The SciSat-1 spacecraft is uncrated at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. SciSat-1 weighs approximately 330 pounds and will be placed in a 400-mile-high polar orbit to investigate processes that control the distribution of ozone in the upper atmosphere. The scientific mission of SciSat-1 is to measure and understand the chemical processes that control the distribution of ozone in the Earth’s atmosphere, particularly at high altitudes. The data from the satellite will provide Canadian and international scientists with improved measurements relating to global ozone processes and help policymakers assess existing environmental policy and develop protective measures for improving the health of our atmosphere, preventing further ozone depletion. The mission is designed to last two years.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The SciSat-1 spacecraft is revealed after being uncrated at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. SciSat-1 weighs approximately 330 pounds and will be placed in a 400-mile-high polar orbit to investigate processes that control the distribution of ozone in the upper atmosphere. The scientific mission of SciSat-1 is to measure and understand the chemical processes that control the distribution of ozone in the Earth’s atmosphere, particularly at high altitudes. The data from the satellite will provide Canadian and international scientists with improved measurements relating to global ozone processes and help policymakers assess existing environmental policy and develop protective measures for improving the health of our atmosphere, preventing further ozone depletion. The mission is designed to last two years.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-06-26

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The SciSat-1 spacecraft is revealed after being uncrated at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. SciSat-1 weighs approximately 330 pounds and will be placed in a 400-mile-high polar orbit to investigate processes that control the distribution of ozone in the upper atmosphere. The scientific mission of SciSat-1 is to measure and understand the chemical processes that control the distribution of ozone in the Earth’s atmosphere, particularly at high altitudes. The data from the satellite will provide Canadian and international scientists with improved measurements relating to global ozone processes and help policymakers assess existing environmental policy and develop protective measures for improving the health of our atmosphere, preventing further ozone depletion. The mission is designed to last two years.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Workers at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., prepare to move the SciSat-1 spacecraft. SciSat-1 weighs approximately 330 pounds and will be placed in a 400-mile-high polar orbit to investigate processes that control the distribution of ozone in the upper atmosphere. The scientific mission of SciSat-1 is to measure and understand the chemical processes that control the distribution of ozone in the Earth’s atmosphere, particularly at high altitudes. The data from the satellite will provide Canadian and international scientists with improved measurements relating to global ozone processes and help policymakers assess existing environmental policy and develop protective measures for improving the health of our atmosphere, preventing further ozone depletion. The mission is designed to last two years.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-06-26

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Workers at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., prepare to move the SciSat-1 spacecraft. SciSat-1 weighs approximately 330 pounds and will be placed in a 400-mile-high polar orbit to investigate processes that control the distribution of ozone in the upper atmosphere. The scientific mission of SciSat-1 is to measure and understand the chemical processes that control the distribution of ozone in the Earth’s atmosphere, particularly at high altitudes. The data from the satellite will provide Canadian and international scientists with improved measurements relating to global ozone processes and help policymakers assess existing environmental policy and develop protective measures for improving the health of our atmosphere, preventing further ozone depletion. The mission is designed to last two years.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., the Pegasus launch vehicle is moved into its hangar. The Pegasus will carry the SciSat-1 spacecraft in a 400-mile-high polar orbit to investigate processes that control the distribution of ozone in the upper atmosphere. The scientific mission of SciSat-1 is to measure and understand the chemical processes that control the distribution of ozone in the Earth’s atmosphere, particularly at high altitudes. The data from the satellite will provide Canadian and international scientists with improved measurements relating to global ozone processes and help policymakers assess existing environmental policy and develop protective measures for improving the health of our atmosphere, preventing further ozone depletion. The mission is designed to last two years.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-06-27

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., the Pegasus launch vehicle is moved into its hangar. The Pegasus will carry the SciSat-1 spacecraft in a 400-mile-high polar orbit to investigate processes that control the distribution of ozone in the upper atmosphere. The scientific mission of SciSat-1 is to measure and understand the chemical processes that control the distribution of ozone in the Earth’s atmosphere, particularly at high altitudes. The data from the satellite will provide Canadian and international scientists with improved measurements relating to global ozone processes and help policymakers assess existing environmental policy and develop protective measures for improving the health of our atmosphere, preventing further ozone depletion. The mission is designed to last two years.

Response demands and the recruitment of heuristic strategies in syllogistic reasoning.

PubMed

Reverberi, Carlo; Rusconi, Patrice; Paulesu, Eraldo; Cherubini, Paolo

2009-03-01

Two experiments investigated whether dealing with a homogeneous subset of syllogisms with time-constrained responses encouraged participants to develop and use heuristics for abstract (Experiment 1) and thematic (Experiment 2) syllogisms. An atmosphere-based heuristic accounted for most responses with both abstract and thematic syllogisms. With thematic syllogisms, a weaker effect of a belief heuristic was also observed, mainly where the correct response was inconsistent with the atmosphere of the premises. Analytic processes appear to have played little role in the time-constrained condition, whereas their involvement increased in a self-paced, unconstrained condition. From a dual-process perspective, the results further specify how task demands affect the recruitment of heuristic and analytic systems of reasoning. Because the syllogisms and experimental procedure were the same as those used in a previous neuroimaging study by Goel, Buchel, Frith, and Dolan (2000), the result also deepen our understanding of the cognitive processes investigated by that study.

One step process for producing dense aluminum nitride and composites thereof

DOEpatents

Holt, J.B.; Kingman, D.D.; Bianchini, G.M.

1989-10-31

A one step combustion process for the synthesis of dense aluminum nitride compositions is disclosed. The process comprises igniting pure aluminum powder in a nitrogen atmosphere at a pressure of about 1,000 atmospheres or higher. The process enables the production of aluminum nitride bodies to be formed directly in a mold of any desired shape.

One step process for producing dense aluminum nitride and composites thereof

DOEpatents

Holt, J. Birch; Kingman, Donald D.; Bianchini, Gregory M.

1989-01-01

A one step combustion process for the synthesis of dense aluminum nitride compositions is disclosed. The process comprises igniting pure aluminum powder in a nitrogen atmosphere at a pressure of about 1000 atmospheres or higher. The process enables the production of aluminum nitride bodies to be formed directly in a mold of any desired shape.

Photochemistry, Ion Chemistry, and Haze Formation in Pluto’s Atmosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Summers, Michael E.; Stern, S. A.; Gladstone, G. Randal; Young, Leslie A.; Olkin, C. B.; Weaver, H. A.; Cheng, A. F.; Strobel, D. F.; Ennico, K. A.; Kammer, J. A.; Parker, A. H.; Retherford, K. D.; Schindhelm, E.; Singer, K. N.; Steffl, A. J.; Tsang, C. C.; Versteeg, M. H.; Greathouse, T. K.; Linscott, I. R.; Tyler, L. G.; Woods, W. W.; Hinson, D. P.; Parker, J. W.; Renaud, J. P.; Ewell, M.; Lisse, Cary M.

2015-11-01

The detection of ethylene (C2H4) and acetylene (C2H2) in Pluto’s atmosphere provides important ground-truth observations for validating photochemical models of Pluto’s atmosphere. Their detection also confirms the production of precursor chemical compounds involved in the formation of tholins, which are thought to give Pluto’s surface its reddish color. Photochemical models predict many other hydrocarbon and nitrile products, currently undetected, which may also be participants in tholin production on Pluto’s surface or on atmospheric haze particles. The observed atmospheric haze layer extending to altitudes of ~140 km above Pluto’s surface, suggests a global and very robust process of atmospheric particle nucleation, growth, and sedimentation onto Pluto’s surface. The high altitude extent of the haze layer suggests that the nucleation process begins above the expected altitude range where hydrocarbons become supersaturated (below ~30 km altitude). This situation may be analogous to that in Titan’s atmosphere, wherein nucleation and aerosol growth is directly related to large negative ion production. In the case of Pluto, this means that nucleation may occur at altitudes as high as 1200 km altitude where ionization in Pluto’s atmosphere peaks. In this paper we discuss these processes and their implications for haze formation in Pluto’s atmosphere and its deposition onto Pluto’s surface. This work was supported by NASA's New Horizons project.

Uses of the Space Shuttle in the NASA Applications Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcconnell, D. G.

1977-01-01

Examples are given of Shuttle and Spacelab payloads proposed in the NASA Applications Program. These range from processing of materials under near-zero gravity conditions to studies of microphysical processes occurring in clouds, and from high resolution Fourier interferometers for studying trace constituents in the atmosphere to complementary groups of sensors for viewing the earth.

Climatic and pollution influences on ecosystem processes in northern hardwood forests

Treesearch

Kurt S. Pregitzer; David D. Reed; Glenn D. Mroz; Andrew J. Burton; John A. Witter; Donald A. Zak

1996-01-01

The Michigan gradient study was established in 1987 to examine the effects of climate and atmospheric deposition on forest productivity and ecosystem processes in the Great Lakes region. Four intensively-monitored northern hardwood study sites are located along a climatic and pollutant gradient extending from southern lower Michigan to northwestern upper Michigan. The...

Dimensional analysis of acoustically propagated signals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hansen, Scott D.; Thomson, Dennis W.

1993-01-01

Traditionally, long term measurements of atmospherically propagated sound signals have consisted of time series of multiminute averages. Only recently have continuous measurements with temporal resolution corresponding to turbulent time scales been available. With modern digital data acquisition systems we now have the capability to simultaneously record both acoustical and meteorological parameters with sufficient temporal resolution to allow us to examine in detail relationships between fluctuating sound and the meteorological variables, particularly wind and temperature, which locally determine the acoustic refractive index. The atmospheric acoustic propagation medium can be treated as a nonlinear dynamical system, a kind of signal processor whose innards depend on thermodynamic and turbulent processes in the atmosphere. The atmosphere is an inherently nonlinear dynamical system. In fact one simple model of atmospheric convection, the Lorenz system, may well be the most widely studied of all dynamical systems. In this paper we report some results of our having applied methods used to characterize nonlinear dynamical systems to study the characteristics of acoustical signals propagated through the atmosphere. For example, we investigate whether or not it is possible to parameterize signal fluctuations in terms of fractal dimensions. For time series one such parameter is the limit capacity dimension. Nicolis and Nicolis were among the first to use the kind of methods we have to study the properties of low dimension global attractors.

MSG-7: Atmospheric Penetration of Solar Radiation in the Range of Schumann-runge Bands

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frederick, J. E.

1982-01-01

There have been major efforts in measuring extraterrestrial solar irradiance for use in atmospheric studies. The quantity of immediate relevance to theoretical studies is the number of photons which reach a given altitude in the middle atmosphere. Current models compute the attenuated radiation field but the cross sections available for the major absorbers, O2 and O3, often come from experiments that are now quite old. Balloon measurements show some significant differences between the predicted and observed ultraviolet radiation field between 30 and 40 km. The wavelength region to be studied includes Lyman alpha plus the range 175 nm to the visible. Specific topics to be addressed are as follows: (1) the cross sections of the major absorbers, O2 and O3 including the Schumann-Runge bands as a subset; (2) comparison of the in situ measurements of the attenuated radiation field with calculations; and (3) the relevance of the scattered and reflected radiation fields for middle atmospheric processes.

MSG-7: atmospheric penetration of solar radiation in the range of Schumann-Runge bands

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Frederick, J.E.

1982-12-01

There have been major efforts in measuring extraterrestrial solar irradiance for use in atmospheric studies. The quantity of immediate relevance to theoretical studies is the number of photons which reach a given altitude in the middle atmosphere. Current models compute the attenuated radiation field but the cross sections available for the major absorbers, O2 and O3, often come from experiments that are now quite old. Balloon measurements show some significant differences between the predicted and observed ultraviolet radiation field between 30 and 40 km. The wavelength region to be studied includes Lyman alpha plus the range 175 nm to themore » visible. Specific topics to be addressed are as follows: (1) the cross sections of the major absorbers, O2 and O3 including the Schumann-Runge bands as a subset (2) comparison of the in situ measurements of the attenuated radiation field with calculations and (3) the relevance of the scattered and reflected radiation fields for middle atmospheric processes.« less

Seasonality of Forcing by Carbonaceous Aerosols

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Habib, G.; Bond, T.; Rasch, P. J.; Coleman, D.

2006-12-01

Aerosols can influence the energy balance of Earth-Atmosphere system with profound effect on regional climate. Atmospheric processes, such as convection, scavenging, wet and dry deposition, govern the lifetime and location of aerosol; emissions affect its quantity and location. Both affect climate forcing. Here we investigate the effect of seasonality in emissions and atmospheric processes on radiative forcing by carbonaceous aerosols, focusing on aerosol from fossil fuel and biofuel. Because aerosol lifetime is seasonal, ignoring the seasonality of sources such as residential biofuel may introduce a bias in aerosol burden and therefore in predicted climate forcing. We present a global emission inventory of carbonaceous aerosols with seasonality, and simulate atmospheric concentrations using the Community Atmosphere Model (CAM). We discuss where and when the seasonality of emissions and atmospheric processes has strong effects on atmospheric burden, lifetime, climate forcing and aerosol optical depth (AOD). Previous work has shown that aerosol forcing is higher in summer than in winter, and has identified the importance of aerosol above cloud in determining black carbon forcing. We show that predicted cloud height is a very important factor in determining normalized radiative forcing (forcing per mass), especially in summer. This can affect the average summer radiative forcing by nearly 50%. Removal by cloud droplets is the dominant atmospheric cleansing mechanism for carbonaceous aerosols. We demonstrate the modeled seasonality of removal processes and compare the importance of scavenging by warm and cold clouds. Both types of clouds contribute significantly to aerosol removal. We estimate uncertainty in direct radiative forcing due to scavenging by tagging the aerosol which has experienced cloud interactions. Finally, seasonal variations offer an opportunity to assess modeled processes when a single process dominates variability. We identify regions where aerosol burden is most sensitive to convection and scavenging in warm and cold clouds, and compare seasonally modeled AOD with that retrieved by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS).

Atmospheric Fragmentation of the Gold Basin Meteoroid as Constrained from Cosmogenic Nuclides

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Welten, K. C.; Hillegonds, D. J.; Jull, A. J. T.; Kring, D. A.

2005-01-01

Since the discovery of the Gold Basin L4 chondrite shower almost ten years ago in the northwestern corner of Arizona, many thousands of L-chondrite specimens have been recovered from an area of approx.22 km long and approx.10 km wide. Concentrations of cosmogenic 14C and 10Be in a number of these samples indicated a terrestrial age of approx.15,000 years and a large pre-atmospheric size [1]. Additional measurements of cosmogenic Be-10, Al-26, Cl-36, and Ca-41 in the metal and stone fractions of fifteen Gold Basin samples constrained the pre-atmospheric radius to 3-5 m [2]. This implies that Gold Basin is by far the largest stone meteorite in the present meteorite collection, providing us with an opportunity to study the fragmentation process of a large chondritic object during atmospheric entry. Knowledge about the fragmentation process provides information about the mechanical strength of large meteoroids, which is important for the evaluation of future hazards of small asteroid impacts on Earth and possible defensive scenarios to avoid those impacts.

Scattering and Absorption of E&M radiation by small particles-applications to study impact of biomass aerosols on climate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bililign, Solomon; Singh, Sujeeta; Fiddler, Marc; Smith, Damon

2015-03-01

The phenomena of scattering, absorption, and emission of light and other electromagnetic radiation by small particles are central to many science and engineering disciplines. Absorption of solar radiation by black carbon aerosols has a significant impact on the atmospheric energy distribution and hydrologic processes. By intercepting incoming solar radiation before it reaches the surface, aerosols heat the atmosphere and, in turn, cool the surface. The magnitude of the atmospheric forcing induced by anthropogenic absorbing aerosols, mainly black carbon (BC) emitted from biomass burning and combustion processes has been suggested to be comparable to the atmospheric forcing by all greenhouse gases (GHGs). Despite the global abundance of biomass burning for cooking, forests clearing for agriculture and wild fires, the optical properties of these aerosols have not been characterized at wide range of wavelengths. Our laboratory uses a combination of Cavity ring down spectroscopy and integrating nephelometry to measure optical properties of (extinction, absorption and scattering coefficients) of biomass aerosols. Preliminary results will be presented. Supported by the Department of Defense under Grant #W911NF-11-1-0188.

Photon-stimulated desorption as a substantial source of sodium in the lunar atmosphere.

PubMed

Yakshinskiy, B V; Madey, T E

1999-08-12

Mercury and the Moon both have tenuous atmospheres that contain atomic sodium and potassium. These chemicals must be continuously resupplied, as neither body can retain the atoms for more than a few hours. The mechanisms proposed to explain the resupply include sputtering of the surface by the solar wind, micrometeorite impacts, thermal desorption and photon-stimulated desorption. But there are few data and no general agreement about which processes dominate. Here we report laboratory studies of photon-stimulated desorption of sodium from surfaces that simulate lunar silicates. We find that bombardment of such surfaces at temperatures of approximately 250 K by ultraviolet photons (wavelength lambda < 300 nm) causes very efficient desorption of sodium atoms, induced by electronic excitations rather than by thermal processes or momentum transfer. The flux at the lunar surface of ultraviolet photons from the Sun is sufficient to ensure that photon-stimulated desorption of sodium contributes substantially to the Moon's atmosphere. On Mercury, solar heating of the surface implies that thermal desorption will also be an important source of atmospheric sodium.

Unstable behaviour of an upper ocean-atmosphere coupled model: role of atmospheric radiative processes and oceanic heat transport

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cohen-Solal, E.; Le Treut, H.

We describe the initial bias of the climate simulated by a coupled ocean-atmosphere model. The atmospheric component is a state-of-the-art atmospheric general circulation model, whereas the ocean component is limited to the upper ocean and includes a mixed layer whose depth is computed by the model. As the full ocean general circulation is not computed by the model, the heat transport within the ocean is prescribed. When modifying the prescribed heat transport we also affect the initial drift of the model. We analyze here one of the experiments where this drift is very strong, in order to study the key processes relating the changes in the ocean transport and the evolution of the model's climate. In this simulation, the ocean surface temperature cools by 1.5°C in 20 y. We can distinguish two different phases. During the first period of 5 y, the sea surface temperatures become cooler, particularly in the intertropical area, but the outgoing longwave radiation at the top-of-the-atmosphere increases very quickly, in particular at the end of the period. An off-line version of the model radiative code enables us to decompose this behaviour into different contributions (cloudiness, specific humidity, air and surface temperatures, surface albedo). This partitioning shows that the longwave radiation evolution is due to a decrease of high level cirrus clouds in the intertropical troposphere. The decrease of the cloud cover also leads to a decrease of the planetary albedo and therefore an increase of the net short wave radiation absorbed by the system. But the dominant factor is the strong destabilization by the longwave cooling, which is able to throw the system out of equilibrium. During the remaining of the simulation (second phase), the cooling induced by the destabilization at the top-of-the-atmosphere is transmitted to the surface by various processes of the climate system. Hence, we show that small variations of ocean heat transport can force the model from a stable to an unstable state via atmospheric processes which arise wen the tropics are cooling. Even if possibly overestimated by our GCM, this mechanism may be pertinent to the maintenance of present climatic conditions in the tropics. The simplifications inherent in our model's design allow us to investigate the mechanism in some detail.

Surface-atmospheric water cycle at Gale crater through multi-year MSL/REMS observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harri, A. M.; Genzer, M.; McConnochie, T. H.; Savijarvi, H. I.; Smith, M. D.; Martinez, G.; de la Torre Juarez, M.; Haberle, R. M.; Polkko, J.; Gomez-Elvira, J.; Renno, N. O.; Kemppinen, O.; Paton, M.; Richardson, M. I.; Newman, C. E.; Siili, T. T.; Mäkinen, T.

2017-12-01

The Mars Science laboratory (MSL) has been successfully operating for almost three Martian years. That includes an unprecedented long time series of atmospheric observations by the REMS instrument performing measurements of atmospheric pressure, relative humidity (REMS-H), temperature of the air, ground temperature, UV and wind speed and direction. The REMS-H relative humidity device is based on polymeric capacitive humidity sensors developed by Vaisala Inc. and it makes use of three (3) humidity sensor heads. The humidity device is mounted on the REMS boom providing ventilation with the ambient atmosphere through a filter protecting the device from airborne dust. The REMS-H humidity instrument has created an unprecedented data record of more than two full Martian. REMS-H measured the relative humidity and temperature at 1.6 m height for a period of 5 minutes every hour as part of the MSL/REMS instrument package. We focus on describing the annual in situ water cycle with the REMS-H instrument data for the period of almost three Martian years. The results will be constrained through comparison with independent indirect observations and through modeling efforts. We inferred the hourly atmospheric VMR from the REMS-H observations and compared these VMR measurements with predictions of VMR from our 1D column Martian atmospheric model and regolith to investigate the local water cycle, exchange processes and the local climate in Gale Crater. The strong diurnal variation suggests there are surface-atmosphere exchange processes at Gale Crater during all seasons, which depletes moisture to the ground in the evening and nighttime and release the moisture back to the atmosphere during the daytime. On the other hand, these processes do not seem to result in significant water deposition on the ground. Hence, our modelling results presumably indicate that adsorption processes take place during the nighttime and desorption during the daytime. Other processes, e.g. convective turbulence play a significant role in the daytime in conveying the moisture into the atmosphere.

Interdisciplinary study of atmospheric processes and constituents of the mid-Atlantic coastal region. Attachment 4: Data set for background investigation of atmospheric constituents for Nansemond River site. [a proposed oil refinery site

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kindle, E. C.; Bandy, E. C.; Copeland, G.; Blais, R.; Levy, G.; Sonenshine, D.; Adams, D.; Maier, G.

1975-01-01

Background data was provided for the assessment of the environmental impact of a proposed oil refinery location. Climatic background, particulate data, digitized portrayal of site molecular and meteorological data, graphical portrayal of molecular data, hourly meteorological data, and streamflow charts and radiosonde data are given

Thermosphere Dynamics Workshop, volume 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mayr, H. G. (Editor); Miller, N. J. (Editor)

1986-01-01

Atmospheric observations reported on include recent measurements of thermospherical composition, gas temperatures, auroral emissions, ion-neutral collisional coupling, electric fields, and plasma convection. Theoretical studies reported on include model calculations of thermospherical general circulation, thermospheric tides, thermospheric tidal coupling to the lower atmosphere, interactions between thermospheic chemistry and dynamics and thermosphere-ionosphere coupling processes. The abstracts provide details given in each talk but the figures represent the fundamental information exchanged within the workshop

Studies of land-cover, land-use, and biophysical properties of vegetation in the Large Scale Biosphere Atmosphere experiment in Amazonia.

Treesearch

Dar A. Robertsa; Michael Keller; Joao Vianei Soares

2003-01-01

We summarize early research on land-cover, land-use, and biophysical properties of vegetation from the Large Scale Biosphere Atmosphere (LBA) experiment in Amazoˆnia. LBA is an international research program developed to evaluate regional function and to determine how land-use and climate modify biological, chemical and physical processes there. Remote sensing has...

Laser/Materials Interaction Studies for Enhanced Sensitivity of Laser Ultrasonic Systems.

DTIC Science & Technology

1998-05-01

laser wavelengths is given. Graphite is birefrengent , and hence, the index of refraction and the skin depth depend on the polarization direction...Another development in the model would be the inclusion of processes occurring in the air under atmospheric conditions. The vacuum model presented... atmospheric pressure. 279 74 The jump conditions for cases where this approximation breaks down are treated by Knight (1979). Vaporization in the

A cross sectional study on nursing process implementation and associated factors among nurses working in selected hospitals of Central and Northwest zones, Tigray Region, Ethiopia.

PubMed

Baraki, Zeray; Girmay, Fiseha; Kidanu, Kalayou; Gerensea, Hadgu; Gezehgne, Dejen; Teklay, Hafte

2017-01-01

The nursing process is a systematic method of planning, delivering, and evaluating individualized care for clients in any state of health or illness. Many countries have adopted the nursing process as the standard of care to guide nursing practice; however, the problem is its implementation. If nurses fail to carry out the necessary nursing care through the nursing process; the effectiveness of patient progress may be compromised and can lead to preventable adverse events. This study was aimed to assess the implementation of nursing process and associated factors among nurses working in selected hospitals of central and northwest zones of Tigray, Ethiopia, 2015. A cross sectional observational study design was utilized. Data was collected from 200 participants using structured self-administered questionnaire which was contextually adapted from standardized, reliable and validated measures. The data were entered using Epi Info version 7 and analyzed using SPSS version 20 software. Data were summarized and described using descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression was used to determine the relationship of independent and dependent variable. Then, finally, data were presented in tables, graphs, frequency percentage of different variables. Seventy (35%) of participants have implemented nursing process. Different factors showed significant association. Nurses who worked in a stressful atmosphere of the workplace were 99% less likely to implement the nursing process than nurses who worked at a very good atmosphere. The nurses with an educational level of BSc. Degree were 6.972 times more likely to implement the nursing process than those who were diploma qualified. Nurses with no consistent material supply to use the nursing process were 95.1% less likely to implement the nursing process than nurses with consistent material supply. The majority of the participants were not implementing the nursing process properly. There are many factors that hinder them from applying the nursing process of which level of education, knowledge of nurses, skill of nurses, atmosphere of the work place, shortage of material supply to use the nursing process and high number of patient load were scientifically significant for the association test.

Alternative photocatalysts to TiO2 for the photocatalytic reduction of CO2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nikokavoura, Aspasia; Trapalis, Christos

2017-01-01

The increased concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere, originating from the burning of fossil fuels in stationary and mobile sources, is referred as the "Anthropogenic Greenhouse Effect" and constitutes a major environmental concern. The scientific community is highly concerned about the resulting enhancement of the mean atmospheric temperature, so a vast diversity of methods has been applied. Thermochemical, electrochemical, photocatalytic, photoelectrochemical processes, as well as combination of solar electricity generation and water splitting processes have been performed in order to lower the CO2 atmospheric levels. Photocatalytic methods are environmental friendly and succeed in reducing the atmospheric CO2 concentration and producing fuels or/and useful organic compounds at the same time. The most common photocatalysts for the CO2 reduction are the inorganic, the carbon based semiconductors and the hybrids based on semiconductors, which combine stability, low cost and appropriate structure in order to accomplish redox reactions. In this review, inorganic semiconductors such as single-metal oxide, mixed-metal oxides, metal oxide composites, layered double hydroxides (LDHs), salt composites, carbon based semiconductors such as graphene based composites, CNT composites, g-C3N4 composites and hybrid organic-inorganic materials (ZIFs) were studied. TiO2 and Ti based photocatalysts are extensively studied and therefore in this review they are not mentioned.

Saturn: atmosphere, ionosphere, and magnetosphere.

PubMed

Gombosi, Tamas I; Ingersoll, Andrew P

2010-03-19

The Cassini spacecraft has been in orbit around Saturn since 30 June 2004, yielding a wealth of data about the Saturn system. This review focuses on the atmosphere and magnetosphere and briefly outlines the state of our knowledge after the Cassini prime mission. The mission has addressed a host of fundamental questions: What processes control the physics, chemistry, and dynamics of the atmosphere? Where does the magnetospheric plasma come from? What are the physical processes coupling the ionosphere and magnetosphere? And, what are the rotation rates of Saturn's atmosphere and magnetosphere?

Arctic Research NASA's Cryospheric Sciences Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Waleed, Abdalati; Zukor, Dorothy J. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Much of NASA's Arctic Research is run through its Cryospheric Sciences Program. Arctic research efforts to date have focused primarily on investigations of the mass balance of the largest Arctic land-ice masses and the mechanisms that control it, interactions among sea ice, polar oceans, and the polar atmosphere, atmospheric processes in the polar regions, energy exchanges in the Arctic. All of these efforts have been focused on characterizing, understanding, and predicting, changes in the Arctic. NASA's unique vantage from space provides an important perspective for the study of these large scale processes, while detailed process information is obtained through targeted in situ field and airborne campaigns and models. An overview of NASA investigations in the Arctic will be presented demonstrating how the synthesis of space-based technology, and these complementary components have advanced our understanding of physical processes in the Arctic.

Online coupled regional meteorology-chemistry models in Europe: current status and prospects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baklanov, A.; Schluenzen, K. H.; Suppan, P.; Baldasano, J.; Brunner, D.; Aksoyoglu, S.; Carmichael, G.; Douros, J.; Flemming, J.; Forkel, R.; Galmarini, S.; Gauss, M.; Grell, G.; Hirtl, M.; Joffre, S.; Jorba, O.; Kaas, E.; Kaasik, M.; Kallos, G.; Kong, X.; Korsholm, U.; Kurganskiy, A.; Kushta, J.; Lohmann, U.; Mahura, A.; Manders-Groot, A.; Maurizi, A.; Moussiopoulos, N.; Rao, S. T.; Savage, N.; Seigneur, C.; Sokhi, R.; Solazzo, E.; Solomos, S.; Sørensen, B.; Tsegas, G.; Vignati, E.; Vogel, B.; Zhang, Y.

2013-05-01

The simulation of the coupled evolution of atmospheric dynamics, pollutant transport, chemical reactions and atmospheric composition is one of the most challenging tasks in environmental modelling, climate change studies, and weather forecasting for the next decades as they all involve strongly integrated processes. Weather strongly influences air quality (AQ) and atmospheric transport of hazardous materials, while atmospheric composition can influence both weather and climate by directly modifying the atmospheric radiation budget or indirectly affecting cloud formation. Until recently, however, due to the scientific complexities and lack of computational power, atmospheric chemistry and weather forecasting have developed as separate disciplines, leading to the development of separate modelling systems that are only loosely coupled. The continuous increase in computer power has now reached a stage that enables us to perform online coupling of regional meteorological models with atmospheric chemical transport models. The focus on integrated systems is timely, since recent research has shown that meteorology and chemistry feedbacks are important in the context of many research areas and applications, including numerical weather prediction (NWP), AQ forecasting as well as climate and Earth system modelling. However, the relative importance of online integration and its priorities, requirements and levels of detail necessary for representing different processes and feedbacks can greatly vary for these related communities: (i) NWP, (ii) AQ forecasting and assessments, (iii) climate and earth system modelling. Additional applications are likely to benefit from online modelling, e.g.: simulation of volcanic ash or forest fire plumes, pollen warnings, dust storms, oil/gas fires, geo-engineering tests involving changes in the radiation balance. The COST Action ES1004 - European framework for online integrated air quality and meteorology modelling (EuMetChem) - aims at paving the way towards a new generation of online integrated atmospheric chemical transport and meteorology modelling with two-way interactions between different atmospheric processes including dynamics, chemistry, clouds, radiation, boundary layer and emissions. As its first task, we summarise the current status of European modelling practices and experience with online coupled modelling of meteorology with atmospheric chemistry including feedback mechanisms and attempt reviewing the various issues connected to the different modules of such online coupled models but also providing recommendations for coping with them for the benefit of the modelling community at large.

Exploring microphysical, radiative, dynamic and thermodynamic processes driving fog and low stratus clouds using ground-based Lidar and Radar measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haeffelin, Martial

2016-04-01

Radiation fog formation is largely influenced by the chemical composition, size and number concentration of cloud condensation nuclei and by heating/cooling and drying/moistening processes in a shallow mixing layer near the surface. Once a fog water layer is formed, its development and dissipation become predominantly controlled by radiative cooling/heating, turbulent mixing, sedimentation and deposition. Key processes occur in the atmospheric surface layer, directly in contact with the soil and vegetation, and throughout the atmospheric column. Recent publications provide detailed descriptions of these processes for idealized cases using very high-resolution models and proper representation of microphysical processes. Studying these processes in real fog situations require atmospheric profiling capabilities to monitor the temporal evolution of key parameters at several heights (surface, inside the fog, fog top, free troposphere). This could be done with in-situ sensors flown on tethered balloons or drones, during dedicated intensive field campaigns. In addition Backscatter Lidars, Doppler Lidars, Microwave Radiometers and Cloud Doppler Radars can provide more continuous, yet precise monitoring of key parameters throughout the fog life cycle. The presentation will describe how Backscatter Lidars can be used to study the height and kinetics of aerosol activation into fog droplets. Next we will show the potential of Cloud Doppler Radar measurements to characterize the temporal evolution of droplet size, liquid water content, sedimentation and deposition. Contributions from Doppler Lidars and Microwave Radiometers will be discussed. This presentation will conclude on the potential to use Lidar and Radar remote sensing measurements to support operational fog nowcasting.

Severe Storms Branch research report (April 1984 April 1985)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dubach, L. (Editor)

1985-01-01

The Mesoscale Atmospheric Processes Research Program is a program of integrated studies which are to achieve an improved understanding of the basic behavior of the atmosphere through the use of remotely sensed data and space technology. The program consist of four elements: (1) special observations and analysis of mesoscale systems; (20 the development of quanitative algorithms to use remotely sensed observations; (3) the development of new observing systems; and (4) numerical modeling. The Severe Storms Branch objectives are the improvement of the understanding, diagnosis, and prediction of a wide range of atmospheric storms, which includes severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, flash floods, tropical cyclones, and winter snowstorms. The research often shed light upon various aspects of local weather, such as fog, sea breezes, air pollution, showers, and other products of nonsevere cumulus cloud clusters. The part of the program devoted to boundary layer processes, gust front interactions, and soil moisture detection from satellites gives insights into storm growth and behavior.

Heterogeneous Nucleation of Trichloroethylene Ozonation Products in the Formation of New Fine Particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Ning; Sun, Xiaomin; Chen, Jianmin; Li, Xiang

2017-02-01

Free radicals in atmosphere have played an important role in the atmospheric chemistry. The chloro-Criegee free radicals are produced easily in the decomposition of primary ozonide (POZ) of the trichloroethylene, and can react with O2, NO, NO2, SO2 and H2O subsequently. Then the inorganic salts, polar organic nitrogen and organic sulfur compounds, oxygen-containing heterocyclic intermediates and polyhydroxy compounds can be obtained. The heterogeneous nucleation of oxidation intermediates in the formation of fine particles is investigated using molecular dynamics simulation. The detailed nucleation processes are reported. According to molecular dynamics simulation, the nucleation with a diameter of 2 nm is formed in the Organic Compounds-(NH4)2SO4-H2O system. The spontaneous nucleation is an important process in the formation of fine particles in atmosphere. The model study gives a good example from volatile organic compounds to new fine particles.

Remote sensing of water vapor features

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fuelberg, Henry E.

1993-01-01

Water vapor plays a critical role in the atmosphere. It is an important medium of energy exchange between air, land, and water; it is a major greenhouse gas, providing a crucial radiative role in the global climate system; and it is intimately involved in many regional scale atmospheric processes. Our research has been aimed at improving satellite remote sensing of water vapor and better understanding its role in meteorological processes. Our early studies evaluated the current GOES VAS system for measuring water vapor and have used VAS-derived water vapor data to examine pre-thunderstorm environments. Much of that research was described at the 1991 Research Review. A second research component has considered three proposed sensors--the High resolution Interferometer Sounder (HIS), the Multispectral Atmospheric Mapping Sensor (MAMS), and the Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit (AMSU). We have focused on MAMS and AMSU research during the past year and the accomplishments made in this effort are presented.

NASA/MSFC FY-82 atmospheric processes research review

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Turner, R. E. (Compiler)

1982-01-01

The NASA/MSFC FY-82 Atmospheric Processes Research Program was reviewed. The review covered research tasks in the areas of upper atmosphere, global weather, and severe storms and local weather. Also included was research on aviation safety environmental hazards. The research project summaries, in narrative outline form, supplied by the individual investigators together with the agenda and other information about the review are presented.

Electron-impact vibrational excitation of the hydroxyl radical in the nighttime upper atmosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Campbell, Laurence; Brunger, Michael J.

2018-02-01

Chemical processes produce vibrationally excited hydroxyl (OH) in a layer centred at an altitude of about 87 km in the Earth's atmosphere. Observations of this layer are used to deduce temperatures in the mesosphere and to observe the passage of atmospheric gravity waves. Due to the low densities and energies at night of electrons at the relevant altitude, it is not expected that electron-impact excitation of OH would be significant. However, there are unexplained characteristics of OH densities and radiative emissions that might be explained by electron impact. These are measurements of higher than expected densities of OH above 90 km and of emissions at higher energies that cannot be explained by the chemical production processes. This study simulates the role of electron impact in these processes, using theoretical cross sections for electron-impact excitation of OH. The simulations show that electron impact, even in a substantial aurora, cannot fully explain these phenomena. However, in the process of this investigation, apparent inconsistencies in the theoretical cross sections and reaction rates were found, indicating that measurements of electron-impact excitation of OH are needed to resolve these problems and scale the theoretical predictions to allow more accurate simulations.

Clean galena, contaminated lead, and soft errors in memory chips

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lykken, G. I.; Hustoft, J.; Ziegler, B.; Momcilovic, B.

2000-10-01

Lead (Pb) disks were exposed to a radon (Rn)-rich atmosphere and surface alpha particle emissions were detected over time. Cumulative 210Po alpha emission increased nearly linearly with time. Conversely, cumulative emission for each of 218Po and 214Po was constant after one and two hours, respectively. Processing of radiation-free Pb ore (galena) in inert atmospheres was compared with processing in ambient air. Galena processed within a flux heated in a graphite crucible while exposed to an inert atmosphere, resulted in lead contaminated with 210Po (Trial 1). A glove box was next used to prepare a baseline radiation-free flux sample in an alumina crucible that was heated in an oven with an inert atmosphere (Trials 2 and 3). Ambient air was thereafter introduced, in place of the inert atmosphere, to the radiation-free flux mixture during processing (Trial 4). Ambient air introduced Rn and its progeny (RAD) into the flux during processing so that the processed Pb contained Po isotopes. A typical coke used in lead smelting also emitted numerous alpha particles. We postulate that alpha particles from tin/lead solder bumps, a cause of computer chip memory soft errors, may originate from Rn and RAD in the ambient air and/or coke used as a reducing agent in the standard galena smelting procedure.

GPS tomographic experiment on water vapour dynamics in the troposphere over Lisbon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benevides, Pedro; Catalao, Joao; Miranda, Pedro

2015-04-01

Quantification of the water vapour variability on the atmosphere remains a difficult task, affecting the weather prediction. Coarse water vapour resolution measurements in space and time affect the numerical weather prediction solution models causing artifacts in the prediction of severe weather phenomena. The GNSS atmospheric processing has been developed in the past years providing integrated water vapour estimates comparable with the meteorological sensor measurements, with studies registering 1 to 2 kg/m2 bias, but lack a vertical determination of the atmospheric processes. The GNSS tomography in the troposphere is one of the most promising techniques for sensing the three-dimensional water vapour state of the atmosphere. The determination of the integrated water vapour profile by means of the widely accepted GNSS meteorology techniques, allows the reconstruction of several slant path delay rays in the satellite line of view, providing an opportunity to sense the troposphere at tree-dimensions plus time. The tomographic system can estimate an image solution of the water vapour but impositions have to be introduced to the system of equations inversion because of the non-optimal GNSS observation geometry. Application of this technique on atmospheric processes like large convective precipitation or mesoscale water vapour circulation have been able to describe its local dynamic vertical variation. A 3D tomographic experiment was developed over an area of 60x60 km2 around Lisbon (Portugal). The GNSS network available composed by 9 receivers was used for an experiment of densification of the permanent network using 8 temporarily installed GPS receivers (totalling 17 stations). This study was performed during several weeks in July 2013, where a radiosonde campaign was also held in order to validate the tomographic inversion solution. 2D integrated water vapour maps directly obtained from the GNSS processing were also evaluated and local coastal breeze circulation patterns were identified. Preliminary results show good agreement between radiosonde vertical profiles of water vapour and the correspondent grid columnar profile of the tomographic solution. This study aims for a preliminary characterization of the 3D water vapour field over this region, investigating its potential for monitor small scale air circulation on coastal areas like sea breeze meteorological phenomenon. This study was funded by the Portuguese Science Foundation FCT, under project SMOG PTDC/CTE-ATM/119922/2010 and PhD grant SFRH/BD/80288/2011.

Atmospheric Research 2016 Technical Highlights

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Platnick, Steven

2017-01-01

Atmospheric research in the Earth Sciences Division (610) consists of research and technology development programs dedicated to advancing knowledge and understanding of the atmosphere and its interaction with the climate of Earth. The Divisions goals are to improve understanding of the dynamics and physical properties of precipitation, clouds, and aerosols; atmospheric chemistry, including the role of natural and anthropogenic trace species on the ozone balance in the stratosphere and the troposphere; and radiative properties of Earth's atmosphere and the influence of solar variability on the Earth's climate. Major research activities are carried out in the Mesoscale Atmospheric Processes Laboratory, the Climate and Radiation Laboratory, the Atmospheric Chemistry and Dynamics Laboratory, and the Wallops Field Support Office. The overall scope of the research covers an end-to-end process, starting with the identification of scientific problems, leading to observation requirements for remote-sensing platforms, technology and retrieval algorithm development; followed by flight projects and satellite missions; and eventually, resulting in data processing, analyses of measurements, and dissemination from flight projects and missions. Instrument scientists conceive, design, develop, and implement ultraviolet, infrared, optical, radar, laser, and lidar technology to remotely sense the atmosphere. Members of the various laboratories conduct field measurements for satellite sensor calibration and data validation, and carry out numerous modeling activities. These modeling activities include climate model simulations, modeling the chemistry and transport of trace species on regional-to-global scales, cloud resolving models, and developing the next-generation Earth system models. Satellite missions, field campaigns, peer-reviewed publications, and successful proposals are essential at every stage of the research process to meeting our goals and maintaining leadership of the Earth Sciences Division in atmospheric science research. Figure 1.1 shows the 22-year record of peer-reviewed publications and proposals among the various laboratories.

Oxygen-Induced Cracking Distillation of Oil in the Continuous Flow Tank Reactor

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shvets, Valeriy F.; Kozlovskiy, Roman A.; Luganskiy, Artur I.; Gorbunov, Andrey V.; Suchkov, Yuriy P.; Ushin, Nikolay S.; Cherepanov, Alexandr A.

2016-01-01

The article analyses problems of processing black oil fuel and addresses the possibility of increasing the depth of oil refining by a new processing scheme. The study examines various methods of increasing the depth of oil refining reveals their inadequacies and highlights a need to introduce a new method of processing atmospheric and vacuum…

Impacts of Species Interactions on Atmospheric Processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lerdau, M.; Wang, B.; Cook, B.; Neu, J. L.; Schimel, D.

2016-12-01

The current fascination with interactions between air quality and ecosystems began over 60 years ago with the discovery by Arie Haagen-Smit and colleagues that organic carbon emissions from plants play a role in ozone formation. In the seven decades since, thanks to biochemical and physiological studies of these emissions, their biosynthetic pathways and short-term flux-regulation mechanisms are now well understood. This `metabolic' approach has been invaluable for developing models of VOC emissions and atmospheric oxidant dynamics that function on local spatial scales over time intervals of minutes to days, but it has been of limited value for predicting emissions across larger spatial and temporal scales. This limited success arises in large part from the species-specific nature of volatile organic carbon production by plants. Each plant species produces certain volatile compounds but not others, so predicting emissions through time requires consideration of plant species composition. As the plant species composition of an ecosystem changes through time, so too do its VOC emissions. When VOC impacts on the atmosphere influence species composition by altering inter-specific interactions, there exists the possibility for feedbacks among emissions, atmospheric chemistry, higher order ecological processes such as competition & pollination, and species composition. For example, previous work has demonstrated that VOC emissions may affect ozone, which, in turn, alters competition among trees species, and current efforts suggest that plant reproductive success may be mediated by ozone impacts on floral signals. These changes in ecological processes alter the species composition and future VOC emissions from ecosystems. We present empirical and simulated data demonstrating that biological diversity may be affected by VOC impacts on the atmosphere and that these diversity changes may, in turn, alter the emissions of VOC's and other photochemically active compounds to the atmosphere. We propose a general framework for considering higher order ecological interactions in models of biosphere/atmosphere exchange and air quality. We also demonstrate that secular trends in the global environment, e.g., anthropogenic warming, may alter these interactions and subsequent VOC emissions.

MAVEN - Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grebowsky, Joseph M.; Jakosky, Bruce M.

2011-01-01

NASA's MAVEN mission (to be launched in late 2013) is the first mission to Mars devoted to sampling all of the upper atmosphere neutral and plasma environments, including the well-mixed atmosphere, the exosphere, ionosphere, outer magnetosphere and near-Mars solar wind. It will fill in some measurement gaps remaining from the successful Mars Global Surveyor and the on-going Mars Express missions. The primary science objectives of MAVEN are: 1. Provide a comprehensive picture of the present state of the upper atmosphere and ionosphere of Mars; 2. Understand the processes controlling the present state; and 3. Determine how loss of volatiles to outer space in the present epoch varies with changing solar condition - EUY, solar wind and interplanetary magnetic field measurements will provide the varying solar energy inputs into the system. Knowing how these processes respond to the Sun's energy inputs in the current epoch will provide a framework for projecting atmospheric processes back in time to profile MARS' atmospheric evolution and to explore "where the water went", A description will be given of the science objectives, the instruments, and the current status of the project, emphasizing the value of having collaborations between the MAVEN project and the Mars upper atmosphere science community.

Ionisation in ultra-cool, cloud forming extrasolar planetary atmospheres

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Helling, Christiane; the LEAP Team

2015-04-01

Transit spectroscopy provides evidence that extrasolare planets are covered in clouds, a finding that has been forecast by cloud model simulations 15 years ago. Atmospheres are strongly affected by clouds through their large opacity and their chemical activity. Cloud formation models allow to predict cloud particle sizes, their chemical composition and the composition of the remaining atmospheric gas (Woitke & Helling 2004, A&A 414; Helling & Woitke 2006, A&A 455), for example, as input for radiative transfer codes like Drift-Phoenix (Witte et al. 2009; A&A 506). These cloud particles are charged and can discharge, for example in form of lighting (Helling et al. 2013, ApJ 767; Bailey et al. 2014, ApJ 784). Earth observations demonstrate that lighting effects not only the local chemistry but also the electron budget of the atmosphere. This talk will present our work on cloud formation modelling and ionisation processes in cloud forming atmospheres. An hierarchy of ionisation processes leads to a vertically inhomogenously ionised atmosphere which has implications for planetary mass loss and global circulation pattern of planetary atmospheres. Processes involved, like Cosmic Ray ionisation, do also activate the local chemistry such that large hydrocarbon molecules form (Rimmer et al. 2014, IJAsB 13).

The atmospheric heat engine response to climate change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pauluis, O. M.

2014-12-01

Moist convection is characterized by complex interactions between dynamics and thermodynamics. As air parcels within the atmosphere, they experience multiple thermodynamic transformations, such as compression and expansion, diabatic heating and cooling, condensation and mixing. These transformations correspond to those of a heat engine that produces kinetic energy while transporting energy from a warm source to a colder sink. This atmospheric heat engine is however directly affected by moist processes. First, falling precipitation acts as a break on the circulation by dissipating a significant amount of kinetic energy. Second, evaporation of unsaturated water and diffusion of water vapor are irrevesible processes that also reduce the amount of work that can be produced. An important challenge is to quantify the impacts that these two effects have on the generation of kinetic energy. Here, I will introduce a new technique - the Mean Air Flow As Lagragian Dynamics Approximation (MAFALDA) - that can be used to systematically analyze the thermodynamic behavior of complex atmospheric flows. This approach relies on sorting the upward mass transport in terms of the equivalent potential temperature of the air parcels to obtain an isentropic streamfunction. This streamfunction is then used to determine the thermodynamic evolution of air parcels as they move through the atmosphere. This approach is applied to analyze how convective systems would behave in a warmer climate. It is shown that an increase in atmospheric temperature lead to a significant increase of the amount of kinetic energy that is produced per unit of mass of air transported. At the same time, the total generation of kinetic energy is only slightly affected. Taken together, these findings imply that, in a warming atmosphere, the number of intense convective events will be reduced, while their intensity should increase. I will also discuss the new possibility of systematically studying the thermodynamic transformation in atmospheric models.

Study of internal gravity waves in the meteor zone

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gavrilov, N. M.

1987-01-01

An important component of the dynamical regime of the atmosphere at heights near 100 km are internal gravity waves (IGW) with periods from about 5 min to about 17.5 hrs which propagate from the lower atmospheric layers and are generated in the uppermost region of the atmosphere. As IGW propagate upwards, their amplitudes increase and they have a considerable effect on upper atmospheric processes: (1) they provide heat flux divergences comparable with solar heating; (2) they influence the gaseous composition and produce wave variations of the concentrations of gaseous components and emissions of the upper atmosphere; and (3) they cause considerable acceleration of the mean stream. It was concluded that the periods, wavelengths, amplitudes and velocities of IGW propagation in the meteor zone are now measured quite reliably. However, for estimating the influence of IGW on the thermal regime and the circulation of the upper atmosphere these parameters are not as important as the values of wave fluxes of energy, heat, moment and mass.

Chemical evolution of atmospheric organic carbon over multiple generations of oxidation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Isaacman-VanWertz, Gabriel; Massoli, Paola; O'Brien, Rachel; Lim, Christopher; Franklin, Jonathan P.; Moss, Joshua A.; Hunter, James F.; Nowak, John B.; Canagaratna, Manjula R.; Misztal, Pawel K.; Arata, Caleb; Roscioli, Joseph R.; Herndon, Scott T.; Onasch, Timothy B.; Lambe, Andrew T.; Jayne, John T.; Su, Luping; Knopf, Daniel A.; Goldstein, Allen H.; Worsnop, Douglas R.; Kroll, Jesse H.

2018-02-01

The evolution of atmospheric organic carbon as it undergoes oxidation has a controlling influence on concentrations of key atmospheric species, including particulate matter, ozone and oxidants. However, full characterization of organic carbon over hours to days of atmospheric processing has been stymied by its extreme chemical complexity. Here we study the multigenerational oxidation of α-pinene in the laboratory, characterizing products with several state-of-the-art analytical techniques. Although quantification of some early generation products remains elusive, full carbon closure is achieved (within measurement uncertainty) by the end of the experiments. These results provide new insights into the effects of oxidation on organic carbon properties (volatility, oxidation state and reactivity) and the atmospheric lifecycle of organic carbon. Following an initial period characterized by functionalization reactions and particle growth, fragmentation reactions dominate, forming smaller species. After approximately one day of atmospheric aging, most carbon is sequestered in two long-lived reservoirs—volatile oxidized gases and low-volatility particulate matter.

The effect of acid–base clustering and ions on the growth of atmospheric nano-particles

DOE PAGES

Lehtipalo, Katrianne; Rondo, Linda; Kontkanen, Jenni; ...

2016-05-20

The growth of freshly formed aerosol particles can be the bottleneck in their survival to cloud condensation nuclei. It is therefore crucial to understand how particles grow in the atmosphere. Insufficient experimental data has impeded a profound understanding of nano-particle growth under atmospheric conditions. Here we study nano-particle growth in the CLOUD (Cosmics Leaving OUtdoors Droplets) chamber, starting from the formation of molecular clusters. We present measured growth rates at sub-3 nm sizes with different atmospherically relevant concentrations of sulphuric acid, water, ammonia and dimethylamine. We find that atmospheric ions and small acid-base clusters, which are not generally accounted formore » in the measurement of sulphuric acid vapour, can participate in the growth process, leading to enhanced growth rates. The availability of compounds capable of stabilizing sulphuric acid clusters governs the magnitude of these effects and thus the exact growth mechanism. Furthermore, we bring these observations into a coherent framework and discuss their significance in the atmosphere.« less

Recent Discoveries and Future Challenges in Atmospheric Organic Chemistry.

PubMed

Glasius, Marianne; Goldstein, Allen H

2016-03-15

Earth's atmosphere contains a multitude of organic compounds, which differ by orders of magnitude regarding fundamental properties such as volatility, reactivity, and propensity to form cloud droplets, affecting their impact on global climate and human health. Despite recent major research efforts and advances, there are still substantial gaps in understanding of atmospheric organic chemistry, hampering efforts to understand, model, and mitigate environmental problems such as aerosol formation in both polluted urban and more pristine regions. The analytical toolbox available for chemists to study atmospheric organic components has expanded considerably during the past decade, opening new windows into speciation, time resolution and detection of reactive and semivolatile compounds at low concentrations. This has provided unprecedented opportunities, but also unveiled new scientific challenges. Specific groundbreaking examples include the role of epoxides in aerosol formation especially from isoprene, the importance of highly oxidized, reactive organics in air-surface processes (whether atmosphere-biosphere exchange or aerosols), as well as the extent of interactions of anthropogenic and biogenic emissions and the resulting impact on atmospheric organic chemistry.

Chemical evolution of atmospheric organic carbon over multiple generations of oxidation.

PubMed

Isaacman-VanWertz, Gabriel; Massoli, Paola; O'Brien, Rachel; Lim, Christopher; Franklin, Jonathan P; Moss, Joshua A; Hunter, James F; Nowak, John B; Canagaratna, Manjula R; Misztal, Pawel K; Arata, Caleb; Roscioli, Joseph R; Herndon, Scott T; Onasch, Timothy B; Lambe, Andrew T; Jayne, John T; Su, Luping; Knopf, Daniel A; Goldstein, Allen H; Worsnop, Douglas R; Kroll, Jesse H

2018-04-01

The evolution of atmospheric organic carbon as it undergoes oxidation has a controlling influence on concentrations of key atmospheric species, including particulate matter, ozone and oxidants. However, full characterization of organic carbon over hours to days of atmospheric processing has been stymied by its extreme chemical complexity. Here we study the multigenerational oxidation of α-pinene in the laboratory, characterizing products with several state-of-the-art analytical techniques. Although quantification of some early generation products remains elusive, full carbon closure is achieved (within measurement uncertainty) by the end of the experiments. These results provide new insights into the effects of oxidation on organic carbon properties (volatility, oxidation state and reactivity) and the atmospheric lifecycle of organic carbon. Following an initial period characterized by functionalization reactions and particle growth, fragmentation reactions dominate, forming smaller species. After approximately one day of atmospheric aging, most carbon is sequestered in two long-lived reservoirs-volatile oxidized gases and low-volatility particulate matter.

Lord Kelvin's atmospheric electricity measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aplin, Karen; Harrison, R. Giles; Trainer, Matthew; Hough, James

2013-04-01

Lord Kelvin (William Thomson), one of the greatest Victorian scientists, made a substantial but little-recognised contribution to geophysics through his work on atmospheric electricity. He developed sensitive instrumentation for measuring the atmospheric electric field, including invention of a portable electrometer, which made mobile measurements possible for the first time. Kelvin's measurements of the atmospheric electric field in 1859, made during development of the portable electrometer, can be used to deduce the substantial levels of particulate pollution blown over the Scottish island of Arran from the industrial mainland. Kelvin was also testing the electrometer during the largest solar flare ever recorded, the "Carrington event" in the late summer of 1859. Subsequently, Lord Kelvin also developed a water dropper sensor, and employed photographic techniques for "incessant recording" of the atmospheric electric field, which led to the long series of measurements recorded at UK observatories for the remainder of the 19th and much of the 20th century. These data sets have been valuable in both studies of historical pollution and cosmic ray effects on atmospheric processes.

The effect of acid–base clustering and ions on the growth of atmospheric nano-particles

PubMed Central

Lehtipalo, Katrianne; Rondo, Linda; Kontkanen, Jenni; Schobesberger, Siegfried; Jokinen, Tuija; Sarnela, Nina; Kürten, Andreas; Ehrhart, Sebastian; Franchin, Alessandro; Nieminen, Tuomo; Riccobono, Francesco; Sipilä, Mikko; Yli-Juuti, Taina; Duplissy, Jonathan; Adamov, Alexey; Ahlm, Lars; Almeida, João; Amorim, Antonio; Bianchi, Federico; Breitenlechner, Martin; Dommen, Josef; Downard, Andrew J.; Dunne, Eimear M.; Flagan, Richard C.; Guida, Roberto; Hakala, Jani; Hansel, Armin; Jud, Werner; Kangasluoma, Juha; Kerminen, Veli-Matti; Keskinen, Helmi; Kim, Jaeseok; Kirkby, Jasper; Kupc, Agnieszka; Kupiainen-Määttä, Oona; Laaksonen, Ari; Lawler, Michael J.; Leiminger, Markus; Mathot, Serge; Olenius, Tinja; Ortega, Ismael K.; Onnela, Antti; Petäjä, Tuukka; Praplan, Arnaud; Rissanen, Matti P.; Ruuskanen, Taina; Santos, Filipe D.; Schallhart, Simon; Schnitzhofer, Ralf; Simon, Mario; Smith, James N.; Tröstl, Jasmin; Tsagkogeorgas, Georgios; Tomé, António; Vaattovaara, Petri; Vehkamäki, Hanna; Vrtala, Aron E.; Wagner, Paul E.; Williamson, Christina; Wimmer, Daniela; Winkler, Paul M.; Virtanen, Annele; Donahue, Neil M.; Carslaw, Kenneth S.; Baltensperger, Urs; Riipinen, Ilona; Curtius, Joachim; Worsnop, Douglas R.; Kulmala, Markku

2016-01-01

The growth of freshly formed aerosol particles can be the bottleneck in their survival to cloud condensation nuclei. It is therefore crucial to understand how particles grow in the atmosphere. Insufficient experimental data has impeded a profound understanding of nano-particle growth under atmospheric conditions. Here we study nano-particle growth in the CLOUD (Cosmics Leaving OUtdoors Droplets) chamber, starting from the formation of molecular clusters. We present measured growth rates at sub-3 nm sizes with different atmospherically relevant concentrations of sulphuric acid, water, ammonia and dimethylamine. We find that atmospheric ions and small acid-base clusters, which are not generally accounted for in the measurement of sulphuric acid vapour, can participate in the growth process, leading to enhanced growth rates. The availability of compounds capable of stabilizing sulphuric acid clusters governs the magnitude of these effects and thus the exact growth mechanism. We bring these observations into a coherent framework and discuss their significance in the atmosphere. PMID:27197574

The Outdoor Atmospheric Simulation Chamber of Orleans-France (HELIOS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mellouki, A.; Véronique, D.; Grosselin, B.; Peyroux, F.; Benoit, R.; Ren, Y.; Idir, M.

2016-12-01

Atmospheric simulation chambers are among the most advanced tools for investigating the atmospheric processes to derive physico-chemical parameters which are required for air quality and climate models. Recently, the ICARE-CNRS at Orléans (France) has set up a new large outdoor simulation chamber, HELIOS. HELIOS is one of the most advanced simulation chambers in Europe. It is one of the largest outdoor chambers and is especially suited to processes studies performed under realistic atmospheric conditions. HELIOS is a large hemispherical outdoor simulation chamber (volume of 90 m3) positioned on the top of ICARE-CNRS building at Orléans (47°50'18.39N; 1°56'40.03E). The chamber is made of FEP film ensuring more than 90 % solar light transmission. The chamber is protected against severe meteorological conditions by a moveable "box" which contains a series of Xenon lamps enabling to conduct experiments using artificial light. This special design makes HELIOS a unique platform where experiments can be made using both types of irradiations. HELIOS is dedicated mainly to the investigation of the chemical processes under different conditions (sunlight, artificial light and dark). The platform allows conducting the same type of experiments under both natural and artificial light irradiation. The available large range of complementary and highly sensitive instruments allows investigating the radical chemistry, gas phase processes and aerosol formation under realistic conditions. The characteristics of HELIOS will be presented as well as the first series of experimental results obtained so far.

Review of atmospheric metallic elements in Asia during 2000-2004

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fang, Guor-Cheng; Wu, Yuh-Shen; Huang, Shih-Han; Rau, Jui-Yeh

Metallic element transfer through the atmosphere is a significant part of the biogeochemical cycle of these elements. Natural and anthropogenic were two processes which can increase heavy metal concentrations in the atmosphere. Atmospheric particulates, especially secondary anthropogenic fine particles (PM 2.5), have been influence human health. Generally speaking, the total daily mortality increases by approximately 1% for every 10 μg m -3 increase in PM 10 concentration (Lippmann, 1998). This is why the PM 10 and PM 2.5 measurements are included in the US ambient air quality standards (US-EPA, 1987 for PM 10; 1996 for PM 2.5) (Querol et al., 2001). In recent years, since the great efforts made by Taiwan government towards the reduction of O 3 and PM 10 concentrations by controlling the emission rates of local pollutants sources, the frequency of exceeded PSI has gradually decrease the value of 4.9% in 1999 (Taiwan EPA, 2000). Urban populations are exposed to metals in suspended particles and these are often well above natural background levels owing to anthropogenic processes (Espinosa et al., 2002). This results in elevated metal concentrations that can pose an important risk to human health. Understanding emissions from traffic includes identification of the sources, which is also crucial for designing control measures. Road traffic involves numerous potential sources of metals, combustion products from fuel and oil, wear products from tires, brake linings, bearings, coach and road construction materials, and re-suspension of soil and road dust. The different sample collection devices, pretreatment and analysis methods were discussed in this study. The purpose of this study arranges the atmospheric metallic elements investigations in Asia regions. The data obtained here can also help to understand the sources, concentration, phase distribution and health impact of atmospheric metallic elements in Asian countries.

Dissolved organic matter in sea spray: a transfer study from marine surface water to aerosols

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmitt-Kopplin, P.; Liger-Belair, G.; Koch, B. P.; Flerus, R.; Kattner, G.; Harir, M.; Kanawati, B.; Lucio, M.; Tziotis, D.; Hertkorn, N.; Gebefügi, I.

2012-04-01

Atmospheric aerosols impose direct and indirect effects on the climate system, for example, by absorption of radiation in relation to cloud droplets size, on chemical and organic composition and cloud dynamics. The first step in the formation of Organic primary aerosols, i.e. the transfer of dissolved organic matter from the marine surface into the atmosphere, was studied. We present a molecular level description of this phenomenon using the high resolution analytical tools of Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR). Our experiments confirm the chemoselective transfer of natural organic molecules, especially of aliphatic compounds from the surface water into the atmosphere via bubble bursting processes. Transfer from marine surface water to the atmosphere involves a chemical gradient governed by the physicochemical properties of the involved molecules when comparing elemental compositions and differentiating CHO, CHNO, CHOS and CHNOS bearing compounds. Typical chemical fingerprints of compounds enriched in the aerosol phase were CHO and CHOS molecular series, smaller molecules of higher aliphaticity and lower oxygen content, and typical surfactants. A non-targeted metabolomics analysis demonstrated that many of these molecules corresponded to homologous series of oxo-, hydroxy-, methoxy-, branched fatty acids and mono-, di- and tricarboxylic acids as well as monoterpenes and sugars. These surface active biomolecules were preferentially transferred from surface water into the atmosphere via bubble bursting processes to form a significant fraction of primary organic aerosols. This way of sea spray production leaves a selective biological signature of the surface water in the corresponding aerosol that may be transported into higher altitudes up to the lower atmosphere, thus contributing to the formation of secondary organic aerosol on a global scale or transported laterally with possible deposition in the context of global biogeocycling.

A study on EUV reticle surface molecular contamination under different storage conditions in a HVM foundry fab

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, SherJang; Yatzor, Brett; Taylor, Ron; Wood, Obert; Mangat, Pawitter

2017-03-01

The prospect of EUVL (Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography) insertion into HVM (High Volume Manufacturing) has never been this promising. As technology is prepared for "lab to fab" transition, it becomes important to comprehend challenges associated with integrating EUVL infrastructure within existing high volume chip fabrication processes in a foundry fab. The existing 193nm optical lithography process flow for reticle handling and storage in a fab atmosphere is well established and in-fab reticle contamination concerns are mitigated with the reticle pellicle. However EUVL reticle pellicle is still under development and if available, may only provide protection against particles but not molecular contamination. HVM fab atmosphere is known to be contaminated with trace amounts of AMC's (Atmospheric Molecular Contamination). If such contaminants are organic in nature and get absorbed on the reticle surface, EUV photon cause photo-dissociation resulting into carbon generation which is known to reduce multilayer reflectivity and also degrades exposure uniformity. Chemical diffusion and aggregation of other ions is also reported under the e-beam exposure of a EUV reticle which is known to cause haze issues in optical lithography. Therefore it becomes paramount to mitigate absorbed molecular contaminant concerns on EUVL reticle surface. In this paper, we have studied types of molecular contaminants that are absorbed on an EUVL reticle surface under HVM fab storage and handling conditions. Effect of storage conditions (gas purged vs atmospheric) in different storage pods (Dual pods, Reticle Clamshells) is evaluated. Absorption analysis is done both on ruthenium capping layer as well as TaBN absorber. Ru surface chemistry change as a result of storage is also studied. The efficacy of different reticle cleaning processes to remove absorbed contaminant is evaluated as well.

Investigation of the feasibility of an analytical method of accounting for the effects of atmospheric drag on satellite motion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bozeman, Robert E.

1987-01-01

An analytic technique for accounting for the joint effects of Earth oblateness and atmospheric drag on close-Earth satellites is investigated. The technique is analytic in the sense that explicit solutions to the Lagrange planetary equations are given; consequently, no numerical integrations are required in the solution process. The atmospheric density in the technique described is represented by a rotating spherical exponential model with superposed effects of the oblate atmosphere and the diurnal variations. A computer program implementing the process is discussed and sample output is compared with output from program NSEP (Numerical Satellite Ephemeris Program). NSEP uses a numerical integration technique to account for atmospheric drag effects.

Catalytic processes for space station waste conversion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schoonover, M. W.; Madsen, R. A.

1986-01-01

Catalytic techniques for processing waste products onboard space vehicles were evaluated. The goal of the study was the conversion of waste to carbon, wash water, oxygen and nitrogen. However, the ultimate goal is conversion to plant nutrients and other materials useful in closure of an ecological life support system for extended planetary missions. The resulting process studied involves hydrolysis at 250 C and 600 psia to break down and compact cellulose material, distillation at 100 C to remove water, coking at 450 C and atmospheric pressure, and catalytic oxidation at 450 to 600 C and atmospheric pressure. Tests were conducted with a model waste to characterize the hydrolysis and coking processes. An oxidizer reactor was sized based on automotive catalytic conversion experience. Products obtained from the hydrolysis and coking steps included a solid residue, gases, water condensate streams, and a volatile coker oil. Based on the data obtained, sufficient component sizing was performed to make a preliminary comparison of the catalytic technique with oxidation for processing waste for a six-man spacecraft. Wet oxidation seems to be the preferred technique from the standpoint of both component simplicity and power consumption.

Use of a Burkholderia cenocepacia ABTS Oxidizer in a Microbial Fuel Cell

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) often use biological processes to generate electrons from organic material contained in the anode chamber and abiotic processes employing atmospheric oxygen as the oxidant in the cathode chamber. This study investigated the accumulation of an oxidant in bacterial cultures...

Using Δ 17O as a Conservative Tracer of Atmospheric Nitrate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Michalski, G. M.; Thiemens, M. H.

2001-05-01

Assessing the impact of atmospheric deposition of fixed nitrogen on local, regional, and global biogeochemical cycles has received much attention in recent years. Local and regional ecosystems can suffer from eutrophication and shrinking biodiversity from the increased nitrogen flux, in addition to degradation associated with acid rain ( an increasing proportion of which is as HNO3 ). On a global scale, the effect of nitrogen fertilization on CO2 uptake rates is one of the biggest unknowns in global warming research. This renewed interest has led to new attempts to utilize current, and in the development of new, analytical techniques in order to better understand the source, sink and transport mechanisms of atmospheric nitrogen deposition. Its role as the primary sink of the NOx cycle makes atmospheric nitrate (as particulate nitrate or nitric acid ) the primary source of nitrogen deposition. Stable isotopes of nitrogen and oxygen have been used by several researchers to trace atmospheric nitrate through the biogeochemical system. 15N ratios have been problematic due to the lack of large fractionations and an overlap of 15N ratios between sources. Initial studies of 18O ratios showed promise due to the large enrichment (60 ‰ ) in atmospheric nitrate. However, subsequent studies showed an δ 18O spread of 25 - 80 ‰ and have made quantitative analysis of mixing reservoirs difficult. No studies of 17O nitrates have been published. For 17O, thermodynamic, kinetic, and equilibrium isotope effects dictate that δ 17O = .52 x δ 18O . Certain photochemical processes violate this rule due to quantum effects and are quantified by Δ 17O = δ 17O -.52 x δ 18O which are called mass independent fractionations (MIF). Atmospheric nitrates have now been measured and have been found to have a large MIF; Δ 17O ~ 29 ‰ and a small range +/- 2‰ . The large variations in δ 18O of atmospheric nitrate are due to mass dependent fractions from transport and source ratios, and do not effect the Δ 17O. In addition, post depositional fractionations associated with soil migration and microbial utilization are mass dependent processes. The Δ 17O can then be used as a conservative trace of atmospheric nitrate deposition. A variety of soil measurements demonstrate the practicality of using MIF of atmospheric nitrate as a conservative tracer. Antarctic soils have a Δ 17O ~ 30 ‰ acknowledging they are purely atmospheric in origin. Chilean desert soils with Δ 17O ~ 20 ‰ be 2/3 atmospheric and 1/3 biologically derived. Mojave desert soils Δ 17O range from ~ 0 -16 ‰ indicating that some soils are dominated by biologic nitrification and others have in excess of 50 % atmospheric contribution. Initial measurements of stream water indicate that the atmospheric MIF signal can de further traced to the hydrosphere

Laboratory for Atmospheres: Instrument Systems Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2011-01-01

Studies of the atmospheres of our solar system's planets including our own require a comprehensive set of observations, relying on instruments on spacecraft, aircraft, balloons, and on the surface. Laboratory personnel define requirements, conceive concepts, and develop instrument systems for spaceflight missions, and for balloon, aircraft, and ground-based observations. Laboratory scientists also participate in the design of data processing algorithms, calibration techniques, and data processing systems. The instrument sections of this report are organized by measurement technique: lidar, passive, in situ and microwave. A number of instruments in various stages of development or modification are also described. This report will be updated as instruments evolve.

Flow Tube Studies of Gas Phase Chemical Processes of Atmospheric Importance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Molina, Mario J.

1998-01-01

The objective of this project is to conduct measurements of elementary reaction rate constants and photochemical parameters for processes of importance in the atmosphere. These measurements are being carried out under temperature and pressure conditions covering those applicable to the stratosphere and upper troposphere, using the chemical ionization mass spectrometry turbulent flow technique developed in our laboratory. The next section summarizes our research activities during the first year of the project, and the section that follows consists of the statement of work for the third year. Additional details concerning the projects listed in the statement of work were described in our original proposal.

Process for converting heavy oil deposited on coal to distillable oil in a low severity process

DOEpatents

Ignasiak, Teresa; Strausz, Otto; Ignasiak, Boleslaw; Janiak, Jerzy; Pawlak, Wanda; Szymocha, Kazimierz; Turak, Ali A.

1994-01-01

A process for removing oil from coal fines that have been agglomerated or blended with heavy oil comprises the steps of heating the coal fines to temperatures over 350.degree. C. up to 450.degree. C. in an inert atmosphere, such as steam or nitrogen, to convert some of the heavy oil to lighter, and distilling and collecting the lighter oils. The pressure at which the process is carried out can be from atmospheric to 100 atmospheres. A hydrogen donor can be added to the oil prior to deposition on the coal surface to increase the yield of distillable oil.

Biodiversity and biogeography of the atmosphere

PubMed Central

Womack, Ann M.; Bohannan, Brendan J. M.; Green, Jessica L.

2010-01-01

The variation of life has predominantly been studied on land and in water, but this focus is changing. There is a resurging interest in the distribution of life in the atmosphere and the processes that underlie patterns in this distribution. Here, we review our current state of knowledge about the biodiversity and biogeography of the atmosphere, with an emphasis on micro-organisms, the numerically dominant forms of aerial life. We present evidence to suggest that the atmosphere is a habitat for micro-organisms, and not purely a conduit for terrestrial and aquatic life. Building on a rich history of research in terrestrial and aquatic systems, we explore biodiversity patterns that are likely to play an important role in the emerging field of air biogeography. We discuss the possibility of a more unified understanding of the biosphere, one that links knowledge about biodiversity and biogeography in the lithosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere. PMID:20980313

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lehtipalo, Katrianne; Rondo, Linda; Kontkanen, Jenni

The growth of freshly formed aerosol particles can be the bottleneck in their survival to cloud condensation nuclei. It is therefore crucial to understand how particles grow in the atmosphere. Insufficient experimental data has impeded a profound understanding of nano-particle growth under atmospheric conditions. Here we study nano-particle growth in the CLOUD (Cosmics Leaving OUtdoors Droplets) chamber, starting from the formation of molecular clusters. We present measured growth rates at sub-3 nm sizes with different atmospherically relevant concentrations of sulphuric acid, water, ammonia and dimethylamine. We find that atmospheric ions and small acid-base clusters, which are not generally accounted formore » in the measurement of sulphuric acid vapour, can participate in the growth process, leading to enhanced growth rates. The availability of compounds capable of stabilizing sulphuric acid clusters governs the magnitude of these effects and thus the exact growth mechanism. Furthermore, we bring these observations into a coherent framework and discuss their significance in the atmosphere.« less

Atmospheric correction for hyperspectral ocean color sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ibrahim, A.; Ahmad, Z.; Franz, B. A.; Knobelspiesse, K. D.

2017-12-01

NASA's heritage Atmospheric Correction (AC) algorithm for multi-spectral ocean color sensors is inadequate for the new generation of spaceborne hyperspectral sensors, such as NASA's first hyperspectral Ocean Color Instrument (OCI) onboard the anticipated Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) satellite mission. The AC process must estimate and remove the atmospheric path radiance contribution due to the Rayleigh scattering by air molecules and by aerosols from the measured top-of-atmosphere (TOA) radiance. Further, it must also compensate for the absorption by atmospheric gases and correct for reflection and refraction of the air-sea interface. We present and evaluate an improved AC for hyperspectral sensors beyond the heritage approach by utilizing the additional spectral information of the hyperspectral sensor. The study encompasses a theoretical radiative transfer sensitivity analysis as well as a practical application of the Hyperspectral Imager for the Coastal Ocean (HICO) and the Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) sensors.

Developing a weather observation routine during ICARUS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mei, F.; Hubbe, J. M.; de Boer, G.; Lawrence, D.; Shupe, M.; Ivey, M.; Dexheimer, D.; Schmid, B.

2016-12-01

Starting in 2014, the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) program began a major reconfiguration to more tightly link measurements and atmospheric models. As part of this the reconfiguration, ARM's North Slope of Alaska (NSA) site is being upgraded to include additional observations to support modeling and process studies. The Inaugural Campaigns for ARM Research using Unmanned Systems (ICARUS) have been launched in 2016. This internal initiative at Oliktok Point, Alaska focus on developing routine operations of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and Tethered Balloon Systems (TBS). The main purpose of ICARUS is to collect spatial data about surface radiation, heat fluxes, and vertical profiles of the basic atmospheric state (temperature, humidity, and horizontal wind). Based on the data collected during ICARUS, we will develop the operation routines for each atmospheric state measurement, and then optimize the operation schedule to maximize the data collection capacity. The statistical representation of important atmospheric state parameters will be discussed.

Global atmospheric particle formation from CERN CLOUD measurements.

PubMed

Dunne, Eimear M; Gordon, Hamish; Kürten, Andreas; Almeida, João; Duplissy, Jonathan; Williamson, Christina; Ortega, Ismael K; Pringle, Kirsty J; Adamov, Alexey; Baltensperger, Urs; Barmet, Peter; Benduhn, Francois; Bianchi, Federico; Breitenlechner, Martin; Clarke, Antony; Curtius, Joachim; Dommen, Josef; Donahue, Neil M; Ehrhart, Sebastian; Flagan, Richard C; Franchin, Alessandro; Guida, Roberto; Hakala, Jani; Hansel, Armin; Heinritzi, Martin; Jokinen, Tuija; Kangasluoma, Juha; Kirkby, Jasper; Kulmala, Markku; Kupc, Agnieszka; Lawler, Michael J; Lehtipalo, Katrianne; Makhmutov, Vladimir; Mann, Graham; Mathot, Serge; Merikanto, Joonas; Miettinen, Pasi; Nenes, Athanasios; Onnela, Antti; Rap, Alexandru; Reddington, Carly L S; Riccobono, Francesco; Richards, Nigel A D; Rissanen, Matti P; Rondo, Linda; Sarnela, Nina; Schobesberger, Siegfried; Sengupta, Kamalika; Simon, Mario; Sipilä, Mikko; Smith, James N; Stozkhov, Yuri; Tomé, Antonio; Tröstl, Jasmin; Wagner, Paul E; Wimmer, Daniela; Winkler, Paul M; Worsnop, Douglas R; Carslaw, Kenneth S

2016-12-02

Fundamental questions remain about the origin of newly formed atmospheric aerosol particles because data from laboratory measurements have been insufficient to build global models. In contrast, gas-phase chemistry models have been based on laboratory kinetics measurements for decades. We built a global model of aerosol formation by using extensive laboratory measurements of rates of nucleation involving sulfuric acid, ammonia, ions, and organic compounds conducted in the CERN CLOUD (Cosmics Leaving Outdoor Droplets) chamber. The simulations and a comparison with atmospheric observations show that nearly all nucleation throughout the present-day atmosphere involves ammonia or biogenic organic compounds, in addition to sulfuric acid. A considerable fraction of nucleation involves ions, but the relatively weak dependence on ion concentrations indicates that for the processes studied, variations in cosmic ray intensity do not appreciably affect climate through nucleation in the present-day atmosphere. Copyright © 2016, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Sensitivity of boundary layer variables to PBL schemes over the central Tibetan Plateau

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, L.; Liu, H.; Wang, L.; Du, Q.; Liu, Y.

2017-12-01

Planetary Boundary Layer (PBL) parameterization schemes play critical role in numerical weather prediction and research. They describe physical processes associated with the momentum, heat and humidity exchange between land surface and atmosphere. In this study, two non-local (YSU and ACM2) and two local (MYJ and BouLac) planetary boundary layer parameterization schemes in the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model have been tested over the central Tibetan Plateau regarding of their capability to model boundary layer parameters relevant for surface energy exchange. The model performance has been evaluated against measurements from the Third Tibetan Plateau atmospheric scientific experiment (TIPEX-III). Simulated meteorological parameters and turbulence fluxes have been compared with observations through standard statistical measures. Model results show acceptable behavior, but no particular scheme produces best performance for all locations and parameters. All PBL schemes underestimate near surface air temperatures over the Tibetan Plateau. By investigating the surface energy budget components, the results suggest that downward longwave radiation and sensible heat flux are the main factors causing the lower near surface temperature. Because the downward longwave radiation and sensible heat flux are respectively affected by atmosphere moisture and land-atmosphere coupling, improvements in water vapor distribution and land-atmosphere energy exchange is meaningful for better presentation of PBL physical processes over the central Tibetan Plateau.

Theoretical investigation on iodine oxides formation and their role in the production of atmospheric aerosols

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Galvez, Óscar; Gomez, Pedro C.; Gomez-Martin, Juan C.; Saiz-Lopez, Alfonso; Pacios, Luis F.

2013-04-01

Atmospheric iodine has received considerable attention in the past two decades due to both its potential role in the catalytic destruction of ozone (1) and its contribution to the formation of ultrafine particles (2). Seaweeds, marine phytoplankton, and abiotic processes release iodocarbons and I2 to the atmosphere, which are photo-oxidized giving iodine oxides that polymerize to finally form iodine oxide particles (IOPs). In the last years, some laboratory studies have been carried out to investigate this process (see e.g. (3)), however the complete mechanism of formation of such particles and the role of water, and other condensable vapors, in this process have not yet been elucidated. In this context, quantum calculations could help to unravel essential steps of these processes and to evaluate relevant physicochemical properties that can be incorporated into atmospheric models. In this contribution, we show results of a theoretical study on different reactions that iodine oxides, in the presence of water, can undergo to form IOPs. Thermodynamic and kinetic properties of these reactions have been obtained at high level ab initio correlated calculations that included relativistic corrections. In these calculations, we have used a relativistic effective potential (REP) and REP-optimized basis sets for iodine atom developed in our group, which have previously been employed in a theoretical study about several iodinated species (4). (1) Saiz-Lopez, A.; Mahajan, A.S.; Salmon, R.A.; Bauguitte, J.B.; Jones, A.E.; Roscoe, H.K.; Plane, J.M.C. Science 2007, 317, 348-351 (2) O'Dowd, C.D.; Jimenez, J.L.; Bahreini, R.; Flagan, R.C.; Seinfeld, J.H.; Hämeri, K.; Pirjola, L.; Kulmala, M.; Jennings, S.G.; Hoffmann, T. Nature, 2002, 417, 632-636. (3) Saunders, R.W.; Kumar, R.; Gómez Martin, J.C.; Mahajan, A.S.; Murray, B.J.; Plane, J.M.C. Z. Phys. Chem. 2010, 224, 1095-1117. (4) Pacios, L.F.; Gálvez, O. J. Chem. Theory Comput., 2010, 6, 1738-1752.

Current status of the CAWSES-II Task Group 4: What is the geospace response to variable inputs from the lower atmosphere?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shiokawa, Kazuo; Oberheide, Jens

2012-07-01

Recent developments of coupled modeling between neutral and ionized atmosphere and various observation techniques such as advanced radars, airglow imaging, and GPS networks, make it possible to study geospace response to variable inputs from the lower atmosphere. Consequences for telecommunications, re-entry and satellite operations still need to be explored. The extent to which the effects of this quiescent atmospheric variability are transmitted to the magnetosphere is yet to be resolved. We thus stand right now at an exciting research frontier: understanding the cause-and-effect chain that connects tropospheric and strato-/mesospheric variability with geospace processes. CAWSES-II Task Group 4 (TG4) will therefore elucidate the dynamical coupling from the low and middle atmosphere to the geospace including the upper atmosphere, ionosphere, and magnetosphere, for various frequencies and scales, such as gravity waves, tides, and planetary waves, and for equatorial, middle, and high latitudes. Attacking the problem clearly requires asystems approach involving experimentalists, data analysts and modelers from different communities. For that purpose, the most essential part of TG4 is to encourage interactions between atmospheric scientists and plasma scientists on all occasions. TG4 newsletters are distributed to the related scientists every 3-4 months to introduce various activities of atmospheric and ionospheric researches. Five projects are established in TG4, i.e., Project 1: How do atmospheric waves connect tropospheric weather with ITM variability?, Project 2: What is the relation between atmospheric waves and ionospheric instabilities?, Project 3: How do the different types of waves interact as they propagate through the stratosphere to the ionosphere?, Project 4: How do thermospheric disturbances generated by auroral processes interact with the neutral and ionized atmosphere?, and Project 5: How do thunderstorm activities interact with the atmosphere, ionosphere and magnetosphere? Three campaign observations have been carried out in relation to the TG4 activity, i.e, stratospheric sudden warming campaign (January-February, 2010), longitudinal campaign (September 1-November 12, 2010 and August 22-November 2, 2011), and CAWSES Tidal Campaign. In this presentation we show the current status and future plan of CAWSES-II TG4 activities of 2009-2013.

Impact processes and the atmospheric composition of giant planets: lessons learned from the Solar System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Turrini, Diego; Grassi, Davide; Adriani, Alberto; Piccioni, Giuseppe; Altieri, Francesca; Barbieri, Mauro

Over the last twenty years, the search for extrasolar planets revealed us the rich diversity of the outcomes of the processes shaping the formation and evolution of planetary systems. More recently, ground-based and space-based observations started to complement this information with the first data on the atmospheric composition of extrasolar planets. The full exploitation of the data that space-based and ground-based facilities will provide in growing number in the near future, however, requires that we improve our understanding of what are the sources and sinks of the chemical species and molecules that will be observed. Luckily, the study of the past history of the Solar System provides several indications on the effects of processes like migration, late accretion and secular impacts, and on the time they occur in the life of planetary systems. Here we will discuss what is already known about the factors influencing the composition of planetary atmospheres, focusing on the case of gaseous giant planets, and what instead still need to be investigated.

Asteroid and comet impacts on Mars and their influence on atmospheric mass evolution and habitability.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karatekin, Özgür

2015-04-01

Impacts by asteroids and comets could have significant affects on the habitability and atmospheric evolution of terrestrial planets by removing part of its atmosphere, by delivering into it material and volatiles. Large impacts could have repeatedly destroyed the existing biosphere, but in the mean time new subsurface habitats have likely formed from impact induced hydrothermal systems. Early in its history, Mars could have a much denser atmosphere and higher surface temperatures to sustain the presence of stable liquid water or saline solution at the surface, as suggested by several studies. The environmental effects of a period of impact bombardment on terrestrial planets remain poorly constrained. In this study we revisit the atmospheric loss and delivery of volatiles on Mars between the end of the Noachian and present using numerical models. Following an impact, the quantity of escaped atmosphere, as well as impactor and target materials can be estimated using numerical simulations. Studies on the atmospheric loss and delivery due to impacts differ sometimes by orders of magnitude, mainly due to different equation of state and dynamical models used. The hydrocode simulations designed to simulate a single impact are not suitable to study the cumulative effect of impact erosion and delivery in the long term due to their extremely high computation costs. Instead, empirical approximations based on hydrocode simulations have been used to estimate atmospheric evolution. Comparison between different hydrocode results and atmospheric mass evolution upon impacts based on empirical models will be presented using revised model parameters. In addition, different delivery and lost mechanisms including volcanic outgassing and non-thermal escape, can be taken into account to study various atmospheric evolution scenarios. Our results suggest that impacts alone can hardly remove a significant amount of atmospheric mass over this period. Contribution of additional factors such as outgassing and non- thermal escape processes can not explain neither the presence of surface pressure larger than few hundreds of mbars 3.9 Gyr ago. Based on extreme case scenarios, maximum surface pressures at the end of the Noachian, could be as much as 0.25 bar or 1.9 bar, with and without CO2 storage into carbonate reservoirs, respectively.

Development of Data Processing and Analysis Tools for Atmospheric Radiation Measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Guillet, N.; Stassinopoulos, E. G.; Stauffer, C. A.; Dumas, M.; Palau, J.-M.; Calvet, M.-C.

2001-01-01

This paper reports on the data processing methods and techniques of measurements made by several miniature radiation spectrometers flying on different types of carriers within the Earth's atmosphere at aviation and balloon altitudes.

Characterization of nickel laterite reduction from Pomalaa, Sulawesi Tenggara

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rhamdani, Ahmad Rizky; Petrus, Himawan T. B. M., E-mail: bayu.petrus@ugm.ac.id; Fahrurrozi, Moh.

2015-12-29

The effect of using different reductors in the reduction process of nickel laterite was investigated. In this work, the author conducted the reduction of nickel laterite ores by anthracite coal, lamtoro charcoal, and carbon raiser, in air and CO{sub 2} atmosphere, within the temperature ranged from 800°C and 1000°C. The results indicate that at higher temperatures, the reduction reactions proceed more complete. According to the X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) analysis, the type of carbon used greatly influence the rate of the reduction of nickel laterite. The order of reactivity is anthracite coal, lamtoro charcoal, and carbon raiser, respectively. The reductionmore » atmospheric condition also greatly influences the reduction process. The reduction process in CO{sub 2} atmospheric condition gives a lot of significant decrease in hematite and magnetite presence, means that the reduction reactions proceed more complete compared to the reduction process in the air atmospheric condition.« less

Aeolian geomorphology from the global perspective

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Greeley, R.

1985-01-01

Any planet or satellite having a dynamic atmosphere and a solid surface has the potential for experiencing aeolian (wind) processes. A survey of the Solar System shows at least four planetary objects which potentially meet these criteria: Earth, Mars, Venus, and possibly Titan, the largest satellite of Saturn. While the basic process is the same among these four objects, the movement of particles by the atmosphere, the aeolian environment is drastically different. It ranges from the hot (730 K), dense atmosphere of Venus to the extremely cold desert (218 K) environment of Mars where the atmospheric surface pressure is only approximately 7.5 mb. In considering aeolian processes in the planetary perspective, all three terrestrial planets share some common areas of attention for research, especially in regard to wind erosion and dust storms. Relevant properties of planetary objects potentially subject to aeolian processes are given in tabular form.

Aqueous organic chemistry in the atmosphere: sources and chemical processing of organic aerosols.

PubMed

McNeill, V Faye

2015-02-03

Over the past decade, it has become clear that aqueous chemical processes occurring in cloud droplets and wet atmospheric particles are an important source of organic atmospheric particulate matter. Reactions of water-soluble volatile (or semivolatile) organic gases (VOCs or SVOCs) in these aqueous media lead to the formation of highly oxidized organic particulate matter (secondary organic aerosol; SOA) and key tracer species, such as organosulfates. These processes are often driven by a combination of anthropogenic and biogenic emissions, and therefore their accurate representation in models is important for effective air quality management. Despite considerable progress, mechanistic understanding of some key aqueous processes is still lacking, and these pathways are incompletely represented in 3D atmospheric chemistry and air quality models. In this article, the concepts, historical context, and current state of the science of aqueous pathways of SOA formation are discussed.

Emission or atmospheric processes? An attempt to attribute the source of large bias of aerosols in eastern China simulated by global climate models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fan, Tianyi; Liu, Xiaohong; Ma, Po-Lun; Zhang, Qiang; Li, Zhanqing; Jiang, Yiquan; Zhang, Fang; Zhao, Chuanfeng; Yang, Xin; Wu, Fang; Wang, Yuying

2018-02-01

Global climate models often underestimate aerosol loadings in China, and these biases can have significant implications for anthropogenic aerosol radiative forcing and climate effects. The biases may be caused by either the emission inventory or the treatment of aerosol processes in the models, or both, but so far no consensus has been reached. In this study, a relatively new emission inventory based on energy statistics and technology, Multi-resolution Emission Inventory for China (MEIC), is used to drive the Community Atmosphere Model version 5 (CAM5) to evaluate aerosol distribution and radiative effects against observations in China. The model results are compared with the model simulations with the widely used Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fifth Assessment Report (IPCC AR5) emission inventory. We find that the new MEIC emission improves the aerosol optical depth (AOD) simulations in eastern China and explains 22-28 % of the AOD low bias simulated with the AR5 emission. However, AOD is still biased low in eastern China. Seasonal variation of the MEIC emission leads to a better agreement with the observed seasonal variation of primary aerosols than the AR5 emission, but the concentrations are still underestimated. This implies that the atmospheric loadings of primary aerosols are closely related to the emission, which may still be underestimated over eastern China. In contrast, the seasonal variations of secondary aerosols depend more on aerosol processes (e.g., gas- and aqueous-phase production from precursor gases) that are associated with meteorological conditions and to a lesser extent on the emission. It indicates that the emissions of precursor gases for the secondary aerosols alone cannot explain the low bias in the model. Aerosol secondary production processes in CAM5 should also be revisited. The simulation using MEIC estimates the annual-average aerosol direct radiative effects (ADREs) at the top of the atmosphere (TOA), at the surface, and in the atmosphere to be -5.02, -18.47, and 13.45 W m-2, respectively, over eastern China, which are enhanced by -0.91, -3.48, and 2.57 W m-2 compared with the AR5 emission. The differences of ADREs by using MEIC and AR5 emissions are larger than the decadal changes of the modeled ADREs, indicating the uncertainty of the emission inventories. This study highlights the importance of improving both the emission and aerosol secondary production processes in modeling the atmospheric aerosols and their radiative effects. Yet, if the estimations of MEIC emissions in trace gases do not suffer similar biases to those in the AOD, our findings will help affirm a fundamental error in the conversion from precursor gases to secondary aerosols as hinted in other recent studies following different approaches.

Application of remote sensing techniques to study aerosol water vapour uptake in a real atmosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fernández, A. J.; Molero, F.; Becerril-Valle, M.; Coz, E.; Salvador, P.; Artíñano, B.; Pujadas, M.

2018-04-01

In this work, a study of several observations of aerosol water uptake in a real (non-controlled) atmosphere, registered by remote sensing techniques, are presented. In particular, three events were identified within the Atmospheric Boundary Layer (ABL) and other two events were detected in the free troposphere (beyond the top of the ABL). Then, aerosol optical properties were measured at different relative humidity (RH) conditions by means of a multi-wavelength (MW) Raman lidar located at CIEMAT (Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas, Research Centre for Energy, Environment and Technology) facilities in Madrid (Spain). Additionally, aerosol optical and microphysical properties provided by automatic sun and sky scanning spectral radiometers (CIMEL CE-318) and a meteorological analysis complement the study. However, a detailed analysis only could be carried out for the cases observed within the ABL since well-mixed atmospheric layers are required to properly characterize these processes. This characterization of aerosol water uptake is based on the curve described by the backscatter coefficient at 532 nm as a function of RH which allows deriving the enhancement factor. Thus, the Hänel parameterization is utilized, and the results obtained are in the range of values reported in previous studies, which shows the suitability of this approach to study such hygroscopic processes. Furthermore, the anti-correlated pattern observed on backscatter-related Ångström exponent (532/355 nm) and RH indicates plausible signs of aerosol hygroscopic growth. According to the meteorological analysis performed, we attribute such hygroscopic behaviour to marine aerosols which are advected from the Atlantic Ocean to the low troposphere in Madrid. We have also observed an interesting response of aerosols to RH at certain levels which it is suggested to be due to a hysteresis process. The events registered in the free troposphere, which deal with volcano and wild fire plumes transported at higher altitudes, indicate that these processes can take place in the free troposphere, where the climate relevance can be rather different considering the role of aerosol as cloud condensation nuclei.

A Model for Straight and Helical Solar Jets: II. Parametric Study of the Plasma Beta

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pariat, E.; Dalmasse, K.; DeVore, C. R.; Antiochos, S. K.; Karpen, J. T.

2016-01-01

Context. Jets are dynamic, impulsive, well-collimated plasma events that develop at many different scales and in different layers of the solar atmosphere. Aims. Jets are believed to be induced by magnetic reconnection, a process central to many astrophysical phenomena. Within the solar atmosphere, jet-like events develop in many different environments, e.g. in the vicinity of active regions as well as in coronal holes, and at various scales, from small photospheric spicules to large coronal jets. In all these events, signatures of helical structure and/or twisting/rotating motions are regularly observed. The present study aims to establish that a single model can generally reproduce the observed properties of these jet-like events. Methods. In this study, using our state-of-the-art numerical solver ARMS, we present a parametric study of a numerical tridimensional magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) model of solar jet-like events. Within the MHD paradigm, we study the impact of varying the atmospheric plasma beta on the generation and properties of solar-like jets. Results. The parametric study validates our model of jets for plasma beta ranging from 10(sup 3) to 1, typical of the different layers and magnetic environments of the solar atmosphere. Our model of jets can robustly explain the generation of helical solar jet-like events at various beta less than or equal to 1. We show that the plasma beta modifies the morphology of the helical jet, explaining the different observed shapes of jets at different scales and in different layers of the solar atmosphere. Conclusions. Our results allow us to understand the energisation, triggering, and driving processes of jet-like events. Our model allows us to make predictions of the impulsiveness and energetics of jets as determined by the surrounding environment, as well as the morphological properties of the resulting jets.

Challenges in tracing the fate and effects of atmospheric polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon deposition in vascular plants.

PubMed

Desalme, Dorine; Binet, Philippe; Chiapusio, Geneviève

2013-05-07

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquitous organic pollutants that raise environmental concerns because of their toxicity. Their accumulation in vascular plants conditions harmful consequences to human health because of their position in the food chain. Consequently, understanding how atmospheric PAHs are taken up in plant tissues is crucial for risk assessment. In this review we synthesize current knowledge about PAH atmospheric deposition, accumulation in both gymnosperms and angiosperms, mechanisms of transfer, and ecological and physiological effects. PAHs emitted in the atmosphere partition between gas and particulate phases and undergo atmospheric deposition on shoots and soil. Most PAH concentration data from vascular plant leaves suggest that contamination occurs by both direct (air-leaf) and indirect (air-soil-root) pathways. Experimental studies demonstrate that PAHs affect plant growth, interfering with plant carbon allocation and root symbioses. Photosynthesis remains the most studied physiological process affected by PAHs. Among scientific challenges, identifying specific physiological transfer mechanisms and improving the understanding of plant-symbiont interactions in relation to PAH pollution remain pivotal for both fundamental and applied environmental sciences.

Aerosol composition and microstructure in the smoky atmosphere of Moscow during the August 2010 extreme wildfires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Popovicheva, O. B.; Kistler, M.; Kireeva, E. D.; Persiantseva, N. M.; Timofeev, M. A.; Shoniya, N. K.; Kopeikin, V. M.

2017-01-01

This is a comprehensive study of the physicochemical characterization of multicomponent aerosols in the smoky atmosphere of Moscow during the extreme wildfires of August 2010 and against the background atmosphere of August 2011. Thermal-optical analysis, liquid and ion chromatography, IR spectroscopy, and electron microscopy were used to determine the organic content (OC) and elemental content (EC) of carbon, organic/inorganic and ionic compounds, and biomass burning markers (anhydrosaccharides and the potassium ion) and study the morphology and elemental composition of individual particles. It has been shown that the fires are characterized by an increased OC/EC ratio and high concentrations of ammonium, potassium, and sulfate ions in correlation with an increased content of levoglucosan as a marker of biomass burning. The organic compounds containing carbonyl groups point to the process of photochemical aging and the formation of secondary organic aerosols in the urban atmosphere when aerosols are emitted from forest fires. A cluster analysis of individual particles has indicated that when the smokiest atmosphere is characterized by prevailing soot/tar ball particles, which are smoke-emission micromarkers.

Net atmospheric mercury deposition to Svalbard: Estimates from lacustrine sediments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Drevnick, Paul E.; Yang, Handong; Lamborg, Carl H.; Rose, Neil L.

2012-11-01

In this study we used lake sediments, which faithfully record Hg inputs, to derive estimates of net atmospheric Hg deposition to Svalbard, Norwegian Arctic. With the exception of one site affected by local pollution, the study lakes show twofold to fivefold increases in sedimentary Hg accumulation since 1850, likely due to long-range atmospheric transport and deposition of anthropogenic Hg. Sedimentary Hg accumulation in these lakes is a linear function of the ratio of catchment area to lake area, and we used this relationship to model net atmospheric Hg flux: preindustrial and modern estimates are 2.5 ± 3.3 μg m-2 y-1 and 7.0 ± 3.0 μg m-2 y-1, respectively. The modern estimate, by comparison with data for Hg wet deposition, indicates that atmospheric mercury depletion events (AMDEs) or other dry deposition processes contribute approximately half (range 0-70%) of the net flux. Hg from AMDEs may be moving in significant quantities into aquatic ecosystems, where it is a concern because of contamination of aquatic food webs.

Decomposing properties of phosphogypsum with iron addition under two-step cycle multi-atmosphere control in fluidised bed.

PubMed

Zheng, Dalong; Ma, Liping; Wang, Rongmou; Yang, Jie; Dai, Quxiu

2018-02-01

Phosphogypsum is a solid industry by-product generated when sulphuric acid is used to process phosphate ore into fertiliser. Phosphogypsum stacks without pretreatment are often piled on the land surface or dumped in the sea, causing significant environmental damage. This study examined the reaction characteristics of phosphogypsum, when decomposed in a multi-atmosphere fluidised bed. Phosphogypsum was first dried, sieved and mixed proportionally with lignite at the mass ratio of 10:1, it was then immersed in 0.8 [Formula: see text] with a solid-liquid ratio of 8:25. The study included a two-step cycle of multi-atmosphere control. First, a reducing atmosphere was provided to allow phosphogypsum decomposition through partial lignite combustion. After the reduction stage reaction was completed, the reducing atmosphere was changed into an air-support oxidising atmosphere at the constant temperature. Each atmosphere cycle had a conversion time of 30 min to ensure a sufficient reaction. The decomposing properties of phosphogypsum were obtained in different atmosphere cycles, at different reaction temperatures, different heating rates and different fluidised gas velocities, using experimental results combined with a theoretical analysis using FactSage 7.0 Reaction module. The study revealed that the optimum reaction condition was to circulate the atmosphere twice at a temperature of 1100 °C. The heating rate above 800 °C was 5 [Formula: see text], and the fluidised gas velocity was 0.40 [Formula: see text]. The procedure proposed in this article can serve as a phosphogypsum decomposition solution, and can support the future management of this by-product, resulting in more sustainable production.

Spatial variation in the flux of atmospheric deposition and its ecological effects in arid Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiao, Linlin; Wang, Xunming; Li, Danfeng

2018-06-01

Atmospheric deposition is one of the key land surface processes, and plays important roles in regional ecosystems and global climate change. Previous studies have focused on the magnitude of and the temporal and spatial variations in the flux of atmospheric deposition, and the composition of atmospheric deposition on a local scale. However, there have been no comprehensive studies of atmospheric deposition on a regional scale and its ecological effects in arid Asia. The temporal and spatial patterns, composition of atmospheric deposition, and its potential effects on regional ecosystems in arid Asia are investigated in this study. The results show that the annual deposition flux is high on the Turan Plain, Aral Sea Desert, and Tarim Basin. The seasonal deposition flux also varies remarkably among different regions. The Tarim Basin shows higher deposition flux in both spring and summer, southern Mongolian Plateau has a higher deposition flux in spring, and the deposition flux of Iran Plateau is higher in summer. Multiple sources of elements in deposited particles are identified. Calcium, iron, aluminum, and magnesium are mainly derived from remote regions, while zinc, copper and lead have predominantly anthropogenic sources. Atmospheric deposition can provide abundant nutrients to vegetation and consequently play a role in the succession of regional ecosystems by affecting the structure, function, diversity, and primary production of the vegetation, especially the exotic or short-lived opportunistic species in arid Asia. Nevertheless, there is not much evidence of the ecological effects of atmospheric deposition on the regional and local scale. The present results may help in further understanding the mechanism of atmospheric deposition as well as providing a motivation for the protection of the ecological environment in arid Asia.

A mathematical study of a random process proposed as an atmospheric turbulence model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sidwell, K.

1977-01-01

A random process is formed by the product of a local Gaussian process and a random amplitude process, and the sum of that product with an independent mean value process. The mathematical properties of the resulting process are developed, including the first and second order properties and the characteristic function of general order. An approximate method for the analysis of the response of linear dynamic systems to the process is developed. The transition properties of the process are also examined.

Characterizing the UV environment of GJ1214b

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Desert, Jean-Michel

2010-09-01

The recent detection of a super-Earth transiting a nearby low-mass star GJ1214 {Charbonneau et al., 2009} has opened the door to testing the predictions of low mass planet atmosphere theories. Theoretical models predict that low mass planets are likely to exist with atmospheres that can vary widely in their composition and structure. Some super-Earths may be able to retain massive hydrogen-rich atmospheres. Others might never accumulate hydrogen or experience significant escape of lightweight elements, resulting in atmospheres more like those of the terrestrial planets in our Solar System. Planets which orbit close to their parent stars, such as close-in hot-Jupiters and super-Earths, are exposed to strong XEUV flux that influence their atmospheres and may trigger atmospheric escape processes. This phenomenon, which shapes planetary atmospheres, determines the evolution of the planet. This can also dramatically enhance the detectability of a heavily irradiated hydrogen atmosphere when the planet transits in front of its parent star. We propose to use HST/STIS/G140M to determine the intensity and variability of the Lyman-alpha chromospheric emission line and provide observational constraints to super-Earth atmospheric models. We propose to coordinate this measurement with a planetary transit in order to detect large upper atmospheric signatures if present. This short measurement also enables us to determine whether a larger program dedicated to upper atmospheric study is feasible for a following cycle.

Space Weather Studies at Istanbul Technical University

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaymaz, Zerefsan

2016-07-01

This presentation will introduce the Upper Atmosphere and Space Weather Laboratory of Istanbul Technical University (ITU). It has been established to support the educational needs of the Faculty of Aeronautics and Astronautics in 2011 to conduct scientific research in Space Weather, Space Environment, Space Environment-Spacecraft Interactions, Space instrumentation and Upper Atmospheric studies. Currently the laboratory has some essential infrastructure and the most instrumentation for ionospheric observations and ground induced currents from the magnetosphere. The laboratory has two subunits: SWIFT dealing with Space Weather Instrumentation and Forecasting unit and SWDPA dealing with Space Weather Data Processing and Analysis. The research area covers wide range of upper atmospheric and space science studies from ionosphere, ionosphere-magnetosphere coupling, magnetic storms and magnetospheric substorms, distant magnetotail, magnetopause and bow shock studies, as well as solar and solar wind disturbances and their interaction with the Earth's space environment. We also study the spacecraft environment interaction and novel plasma instrument design. Several scientific projects have been carried out in the laboratory. Operational objectives of our laboratory will be carried out with the collaboration of NASA's Space Weather Laboratory and the facilities are in the process of integration to their prediction services. Educational and research objectives, as well as the examples from the research carried out in our laboratory will be demonstrated in this presentation.

Martian Meteorology: Determination of Large Scale Weather Patterns from Surface Measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Murphy, James R.; Haberle, Robert M.; Bridger, Alison F. C.

1998-01-01

We employed numerical modelling of the martian atmosphere, and our expertise in understanding martian atmospheric processes, to better understand the coupling between lower and upper atmosphere processes. One practical application of this work has been our involvement with the ongoing atmospheric aerobraking which the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) spacecraft is currently undergoing at Mars. Dr. Murphy is currently a member of the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Aerobraking Atmospheric Advisory Group (AAG). He was asked to participate in this activity based upon his knowledge of martian atmospheric dynamical processes. Aerobraking is a process whereby a spacecraft, in an elliptical orbit, passes through the upper layers of the atmosphere (in this instance Mars). This passage through the atmosphere 'drags'upon the spacecraft, gradually reducing its orbital velocity. This has the effect, over time, of converting the elliptical orbit to a circular orbit, which is the desired mapping orbit for MGS. Carrying out aerobraking eliminates the need for carrying large amounts of fuel on the spacecraft to execute an engine burn to achieve the desired orbit. Eliminating the mass of the fuel reduces the cost of launch. Damage to one of MGS's solar panels shortly after launch has resulted in a less aggressive extended in time aerobraking phase which will not end until March, 1999. Phase I extended from Sept. 1997 through March 1998. During this time period, Dr. Murphy participated almost daily in the AAG meetings, and beginning in December 1997 lead the meeting several times per week. The leader of each of the daily AAG meetings took the results of that meeting (current state of the atmosphere, identification of any time trends or spatial patterns in upper atmosphere densities, etc.) forward to the Aerobraking Planning Group (APG) meeting, at which time the decision was made to not change MGS orbit, to lower the orbit to reach higher densities (greater 'drag'), or raise the orbit to avoid experiencing excessive, possibly damaging densities.

The interactive role of subsynoptic scale jet sreak and planetary boundary layer adjustments in organizing an apparently isolated convective complex

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kaplan, M. L.; Zack, J. W.; Wong, V. C.; Tuccillo, J. J.; Coats, G. D.

1982-01-01

A mesoscale atmospheric simulation system is described that is being developed in order to improve the simulation of subsynoptic and mesoscale adjustments associated with cyclogenesis, severe storm development, and significant atmospheric transport processes. Present emphasis in model development is in the parameterization of physical processes, time-dependent boundary conditions, sophisticated initialization and analysis procedures, nested grid solutions, and applications software development. Basic characteristics of the system as of March 1982 are listed. In a case study, the Grand Island tornado outbreak of 3 June 1980 is considered in substantial detail. Results of simulations with a mesoscale atmospheric simulation system indicate that over the high plains subtle interactions between existing jet streaks and deep well mixed boundary layers can lead to well organized patterns of mesoscale divergence and pressure falls. The amplitude and positioning of these mesoscale features is a function of the subtle nonlinear interaction between the pre-existing jet-streak and deep well mixed boundary layers. Model results for the case study indicate that the model has the potential for forecasting the precursor mesoscale convective environment.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Inside the hangar at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., workers wait for the Pegasus launch vehicle to be moved inside. The Pegasus will carry the SciSat-1 spacecraft in a 400-mile-high polar orbit to investigate processes that control the distribution of ozone in the upper atmosphere. The scientific mission of SciSat-1 is to measure and understand the chemical processes that control the distribution of ozone in the Earth’s atmosphere, particularly at high altitudes. The data from the satellite will provide Canadian and international scientists with improved measurements relating to global ozone processes and help policymakers assess existing environmental policy and develop protective measures for improving the health of our atmosphere, preventing further ozone depletion. The mission is designed to last two years.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-06-27

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Inside the hangar at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., workers wait for the Pegasus launch vehicle to be moved inside. The Pegasus will carry the SciSat-1 spacecraft in a 400-mile-high polar orbit to investigate processes that control the distribution of ozone in the upper atmosphere. The scientific mission of SciSat-1 is to measure and understand the chemical processes that control the distribution of ozone in the Earth’s atmosphere, particularly at high altitudes. The data from the satellite will provide Canadian and international scientists with improved measurements relating to global ozone processes and help policymakers assess existing environmental policy and develop protective measures for improving the health of our atmosphere, preventing further ozone depletion. The mission is designed to last two years.

Fragmentary Solar System History

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marti, Kurt

1997-01-01

The objective of this research is an improved understanding of the early solar system environment and of the processes involved in the nebula and in the evolution of solid bodies. We present results of our studies on the isotopic signatures in selected primitive solar system objects and on the evaluation of the cosmic ray records and of inferred collisional events. Furthermore, we report data of trapped martian atmospheric gases in meteorites and the inferred early evolution of Mars' atmosphere.

Atmosphere Expansion and Mass Loss of Close-orbit Giant Exoplanets Heated by Stellar XUV. I. Modeling of Hydrodynamic Escape of Upper Atmospheric Material

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shaikhislamov, I. F.; Khodachenko, M. L.; Sasunov, Yu. L.; Lammer, H.; Kislyakova, K. G.; Erkaev, N. V.

2014-11-01

In the present series of papers we propose a consistent description of the mass loss process. To study in a comprehensive way the effects of the intrinsic magnetic field of a close-orbit giant exoplanet (a so-called hot Jupiter) on atmospheric material escape and the formation of a planetary inner magnetosphere, we start with a hydrodynamic model of an upper atmosphere expansion in this paper. While considering a simple hydrogen atmosphere model, we focus on the self-consistent inclusion of the effects of radiative heating and ionization of the atmospheric gas with its consequent expansion in the outer space. Primary attention is paid to an investigation of the role of the specific conditions at the inner and outer boundaries of the simulation domain, under which different regimes of material escape (free and restricted flow) are formed. A comparative study is performed of different processes, such as X-ray and ultraviolet (XUV) heating, material ionization and recombination, H_3^ + cooling, adiabatic and Lyα cooling, and Lyα reabsorption. We confirm the basic consistency of the outcomes of our modeling with the results of other hydrodynamic models of expanding planetary atmospheres. In particular, we determine that, under the typical conditions of an orbital distance of 0.05 AU around a Sun-type star, a hot Jupiter plasma envelope may reach maximum temperatures up to ~9000 K with a hydrodynamic escape speed of ~9 km s-1, resulting in mass loss rates of ~(4-7) · 1010 g s-1. In the range of the considered stellar-planetary parameters and XUV fluxes, that is close to the mass loss in the energy-limited case. The inclusion of planetary intrinsic magnetic fields in the model is a subject of the follow-up paper (Paper II).

Modelling of mercury emissions from background soils.

PubMed

Scholtz, M T; Van Heyst, B J; Schroeder, W H

2003-03-20

Emissions of volatile mercury species from natural soils are believed to be a significant contributor to the atmospheric burden of mercury, but only order-of-magnitude estimates of emissions from these sources are available. The scaling-up of mercury flux measurements to regional or global scales is confounded by a limited understanding of the physical, chemical and biochemical processes that occur in the soil, a complex environmental matrix. This study is a first step toward the development of an air-surface exchange model for mercury (known as the mercury emission model (MEM)). The objective of the study is to model the partitioning and movement of inorganic Hg(II) and Hg(0) in open field soils, and to use MEM to interpret published data on mercury emissions to the atmosphere. MEM is a multi-layered, dynamic finite-element soil and atmospheric surface-layer model that simulates the exchange of heat, moisture and mercury between soils and the atmosphere. The model includes a simple formulation of the reduction of inorganic Hg(II) to Hg(0). Good agreement was found between the meteorological dependence of observed mercury emission fluxes, and hourly modelled fluxes, and it is concluded that MEM is able to simulate well the soil and atmospheric processes influencing the emission of Hg(0) to the atmosphere. The heretofore unexplained close correlation between soil temperature and mercury emission flux is fully modelled by MEM and is attributed to the temperature dependence of the Hg(0) Henry's Law coefficient and the control of the volumetric soil-air fraction on the diffusion of Hg(0) near the surface. The observed correlation between solar radiation intensity and mercury flux, appears in part to be due to the surface-energy balance between radiation, and sensible and latent heat fluxes which determines the soil temperature. The modelled results imply that empirical correlations that are based only on flux chamber data, may not extend to the open atmosphere for all weather scenarios.

The NASA program on upper atmospheric research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1976-01-01

The purpose of the NASA Upper Atmospheric Research Program is to develop a better understanding of the physical and chemical processes that occur in the earth's upper atmosphere with emphasis on the stratosphere.

Emission factor for atmospheric ammonia from a typical municipal wastewater treatment plant in South China.

PubMed

Zhang, Chunlin; Geng, Xuesong; Wang, Hao; Zhou, Lei; Wang, Boguang

2017-01-01

Atmospheric ammonia (NH 3 ), a common alkaline gas found in air, plays a significant role in atmospheric chemistry, such as in the formation of secondary particles. However, large uncertainties remain in the estimation of ammonia emissions from nonagricultural sources, such as wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). In this study, the ammonia emission factors from a large WWTP utilizing three typical biological treatment techniques to process wastewater in South China were calculated using the US EPA's WATER9 model with three years of raw sewage measurements and information about the facility. The individual emission factors calculated were 0.15 ± 0.03, 0.24 ± 0.05, 0.29 ± 0.06, and 0.25 ± 0.05 g NH 3  m -3 sewage for the adsorption-biodegradation activated sludge treatment process, the UNITANK process (an upgrade of the sequencing batch reactor activated sludge treatment process), and two slightly different anaerobic-anoxic-oxic treatment processes, respectively. The overall emission factor of the WWTP was 0.24 ± 0.06 g NH 3 m -3 sewage. The pH of the wastewater influent is likely an important factor affecting ammonia emissions, because higher emission factors existed at higher pH values. Based on the ammonia emission factor generated in this study, sewage treatment accounted for approximately 4% of the ammonia emissions for the urban area of South China's Pearl River Delta (PRD) in 2006, which is much less than the value of 34% estimated in previous studies. To reduce the large uncertainty in the estimation of ammonia emissions in China, more field measurements are required. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Middle atmosphere electrodynamics: Report of the workshop on the Role of the Electrodynamics of the Middle Atmosphere on Solar Terrestrial Coupling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maynard, N. C. (Editor)

1979-01-01

Significant deficiencies exist in the present understanding of the basic physical processes taking place within the middle atmosphere (the region between the tropopause and the mesopause), and in the knowledge of the variability of many of the primary parameters that regulate Middle Atmosphere Electrodynamics (MAE). Knowledge of the electrical properties, i.e., electric fields, plasma characteristics, conductivity and currents, and the physical processes that govern them is of fundamental importance to the physics of the region. Middle atmosphere electrodynamics may play a critical role in the electrodynamical aspects of solar-terrestrial relations. As a first step, the Workshop on the Role of the Electrodynamics of the Middle Atmosphere on Solar-Terrestrial Coupling was held to review the present status and define recommendations for future MAE research.

Biological cycling of atmospheric trace gases

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hitchcock, D. R.; Wechsler, A. E.

1972-01-01

A detailed critical review was conducted of present knowledge of the influence of biological processes on the cycling of selected atmospheric gas constituents--methane, carbon monoxide, and gaseous compounds of nitrogen (nitrous oxide, ammonia, nitric oxide, and nitrogen dioxide) and sulfur (hydrogen sulfide and sulfur dioxide). The identification was included of biological and other sources of each gas, a survey of abundance measurements reported in the literature, and a review of the atmospheric fate of each contituent. Information is provided on which to base conclusions regarding the importance of biological processes on the atmospheric distribution and surface-atmosphere exchange of each constituent, and a basis for estimating the adequacy of present knowledge of these factors. A preliminary analysis was conducted of the feasibility of monitoring the biologically influenced temporal and spatial variations in abundance of these gases in the atmosphere from satellites.

The biota as ancient and modern modulator of the earth's atmosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Margulis, L.; Lovelock, J. E.

1978-01-01

The composition of the terrestrial atmosphere is thought to have been markedly modified by surface microbiota and modulated around quantities of gases optimized for growth of these microbiota. Three diagrams illustrating these suppositions are presented. The first shows a probable order of appearance of major metabolic pathways in microbes that interact with sediment and atmosphere. It is based on evolutionary considerations and is devised independently of the fossil record. The second diagram shows the qualitative emissions and removals of atmospheric gases by anaerobic organisms; it approximates those processes thought to have dominated the terrestrial atmosphere in Archean times. The third diagrams gaseous emissions and removals by the major groups of organisms, including oxygen-releasing and -utilizing forms. Biological gas exchange processes thought to have dominated the atmosphere since the Proterozoic are thus represented.

Atmospheric Chemistry Over Southern Africa

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gatebe, Charles K.; Levy, Robert C.; Thompson, Anne M.

2011-01-01

During the southern African dry season, regional haze from mixed industrial pollution, biomass burning aerosol and gases from domestic and grassland fires, and biogenic sources from plants and soils is worsened by a semi-permanent atmosphere gyre over the subcontinent. These factors were a driver of several major international field campaigns in the 1990s and early 2000s, and attracted many scientists to the region. Some researchers were interested in understanding fundamental processes governing chemistry of the atmosphere and interaction with climate change. Others found favorable conditions for evaluating satellite-derived measurements of atmospheric properties and a changing land surface. With that background in mind a workshop on atmospheric chemistry was held in South Africa. Sponsored by the International Commission for Atmospheric Chemistry and Global Pollution (ICACGP; http://www.icacgp.org/), the workshop received generous support from the South African power utility, Eskom, and the Climatology Research Group of the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. The purpose of the workshop was to review some earlier findings as well as more recent findings on southern African climate vulnerability, chemical changes due to urbanization, land-use modification, and how these factors interact. Originally proposed by John Burrows, president of ICACGP, the workshop was the first ICACGP regional workshop to study the interaction of air pollution with global chemical and climate change. Organized locally by the University of the Witwatersrand, the workshop attracted more than 60 delegates from South Africa, Mozambique, Botswana, Zimbabwe, France, Germany, Canada, and the United States. More than 30 presentations were given, exploring both retrospective and prospective aspects of the science. In several talks, attention was focused on southern African chemistry, atmospheric pollution monitoring, and climate processes as they were studied in the field campaigns such as Transport and Atmospheric Chemistry Near the Equator-Atlantic (TRACE-A), Southern African Fire-Atmosphere Research Initiative (SAFARI-92), and Southern African Regional Science Initiative (SAFARI 2000). Since those large international efforts, satellites have matured enough to enable quantifiable measurements of regional land surface, atmosphere, and ocean. In addition, global and chemical transport models have also been advanced to incorporate various data. Thus, the timing of the workshop was right for a full-fledged re-assessment of the chemistry, physics, and socio-economical impacts caused by pollution in the region, including a characterization of sources, deposition, and feedbacks with climate change.

Diagnosis of Middle Atmosphere Climate Sensitivity by the Climate Feedback Response Analysis Method

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhu, Xun; Yee, Jeng-Hwa; Cai, Ming; Swartz, William H.; Coy, Lawrence; Aquila, Valentina; Talaat, Elsayed R.

2014-01-01

We present a new method to diagnose the middle atmosphere climate sensitivity by extending the Climate Feedback-Response Analysis Method (CFRAM) for the coupled atmosphere-surface system to the middle atmosphere. The Middle atmosphere CFRAM (MCFRAM) is built on the atmospheric energy equation per unit mass with radiative heating and cooling rates as its major thermal energy sources. MCFRAM preserves the CFRAM unique feature of an additive property for which the sum of all partial temperature changes due to variations in external forcing and feedback processes equals the observed temperature change. In addition, MCFRAM establishes a physical relationship of radiative damping between the energy perturbations associated with various feedback processes and temperature perturbations associated with thermal responses. MCFRAM is applied to both measurements and model output fields to diagnose the middle atmosphere climate sensitivity. It is found that the largest component of the middle atmosphere temperature response to the 11-year solar cycle (solar maximum vs. solar minimum) is directly from the partial temperature change due to the variation of the input solar flux. Increasing CO2 always cools the middle atmosphere with time whereas partial temperature change due to O3 variation could be either positive or negative. The partial temperature changes due to different feedbacks show distinctly different spatial patterns. The thermally driven globally averaged partial temperature change due to all radiative processes is approximately equal to the observed temperature change, ranging from 0.5 K near 70 km from the near solar maximum to the solar minimum.

Strategies to Improve the Accuracy of Mars-GRAM Sensitivity Studies at Large Optical Depths

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Justh, Hilary L.; Justus, Carl G.; Badger, Andrew M.

2010-01-01

The poster provides an overview of techniques to improve the Mars Global Reference Atmospheric Model (Mars-GRAM) sensitivity. It has been discovered during the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) site selection process that the Mars Global Reference Atmospheric Model (Mars-GRAM) when used for sensitivity studies for TES MapYear = 0 and large optical depth values such as tau = 3 is less than realistic. A preliminary fix has been made to Mars-GRAM by adding a density factor value that was determined for tau = 0.3, 1 and 3.

Application of an atmospheric pressure sampling mass spectrometer to chlorination reactions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jacobson, N. S.

1986-01-01

An atmospheric pressure mass spectrometric sampling system, based on a free jet expansion was used to study certain M-Cl-O reactions at high temperatures. The apparatus enables the volatile species from a 1-atm chemical process to be directly identified with a mass spectrometer which operates at approx. 10 to the minus 8th power torr. Studies for both pure metals and alloys are discussed. It is shown that this mass spectrometer system aids in identifying the volatile species, and provides fundamental information on the reaction mechanism.

Bayesian coronal seismology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arregui, Iñigo

2018-01-01

In contrast to the situation in a laboratory, the study of the solar atmosphere has to be pursued without direct access to the physical conditions of interest. Information is therefore incomplete and uncertain and inference methods need to be employed to diagnose the physical conditions and processes. One of such methods, solar atmospheric seismology, makes use of observed and theoretically predicted properties of waves to infer plasma and magnetic field properties. A recent development in solar atmospheric seismology consists in the use of inversion and model comparison methods based on Bayesian analysis. In this paper, the philosophy and methodology of Bayesian analysis are first explained. Then, we provide an account of what has been achieved so far from the application of these techniques to solar atmospheric seismology and a prospect of possible future extensions.

Liquid-Desiccant Vapor Separation Reduces the Energy Requirements of Atmospheric Moisture Harvesting.

PubMed

Gido, Ben; Friedler, Eran; Broday, David M

2016-08-02

An innovative atmospheric moisture harvesting system is proposed, where water vapor is separated from the air prior to cooling and condensation. The system was studied using a model that simulates its three interconnected cycles (air, desiccant, and water) over a range of ambient conditions, and optimal configurations are reported for different operation conditions. Model results were compared to specifications of commercial atmospheric moisture harvesting systems and found to represent saving of 5-65% of the electrical energy requirements due to the vapor separation process. We show that the liquid desiccant separation stage that is integrated into atmospheric moisture harvesting systems can work under a wide range of environmental conditions using low grade or solar heating as a supplementary energy source, and that the performance of the combined system is superior.

The influence of subsurface hydrodynamics on convective precipitation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahman, A. S. M. M.; Sulis, M.; Kollet, S. J.

2014-12-01

The terrestrial hydrological cycle comprises complex processes in the subsurface, land surface, and atmosphere, which are connected via complex non-linear feedback mechanisms. The influence of subsurface hydrodynamics on land surface mass and energy fluxes has been the subject of previous studies. Several studies have also investigated the soil moisture-precipitation feedback, neglecting however the connection with groundwater dynamics. The objective of this study is to examine the impact of subsurface hydrodynamics on convective precipitation events via shallow soil moisture and land surface processes. A scale-consistent Terrestrial System Modeling Platform (TerrSysMP) that consists of an atmospheric model (COSMO), a land surface model (CLM), and a three-dimensional variably saturated groundwater-surface water flow model (ParFlow), is used to simulate hourly mass and energy fluxes over days with convective rainfall events over the Rur catchment, Germany. In order to isolate the effect of groundwater dynamics on convective precipitation, two different model configurations with identical initial conditions are considered. The first configuration allows the groundwater table to evolve through time, while a spatially distributed, temporally constant groundwater table is prescribed as a lower boundary condition in the second configuration. The simulation results suggest that groundwater dynamics influence land surface soil moisture, which in turn affects the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) height by modifying atmospheric thermals. It is demonstrated that because of this sensitivity of ABL height to soil moisture-temperature feedback, the onset and magnitude of convective precipitation is influenced by subsurface hydrodynamics. Thus, the results provide insight into the soil moisture-precipitation feedback including groundwater dynamics in a physically consistent manner by closing the water cycle from aquifers to the atmosphere.

Spectral energy distribution of M-subdwarfs: A study of their atmospheric properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rajpurohit, A. S.; Reylé, C.; Allard, F.; Homeier, D.; Bayo, A.; Mousis, O.; Rajpurohit, S.; Fernández-Trincado, J. G.

2016-11-01

Context. M-type subdwarfs are metal-poor low-mass stars and are probes for the old populations in our Galaxy. Accurate knowledge of their atmospheric parameters and especially their composition is essential for understanding the chemical history of our Galaxy. Aims: The purpose of this work is to perform a detailed study of M-subdwarf spectra covering the full wavelength range from the optical to the near-infrared. It allows us to perform a more detailed analysis of the atmospheric composition in order to determine the stellar parameters, and to constrain the atmospheric models. The study will allow us to further understand physical and chemical processes such as increasing condensation of gas into dust, to point out the missing continuum opacities, and to see how the main band features are reproduced by the models. The spectral resolution and the large wavelength coverage used is a unique combination that can constrain the processes that occur in a cool atmosphere. Methods: We obtained medium-resolution spectra (R = 5000-7000) over the wavelength range 0.3-2.5 μm of ten M-type subdwarfs with X-shooter at VLT. These data constitute a unique atlas of M-subdwarfs from optical to near-infrared. We performed a spectral synthesis analysis using a full grid of synthetic spectra computed from BT-Settl models and obtained consistent stellar parameters such as effective temperature, surface gravity, and metallicity. Results: We show that state-of the-art atmospheric models correctly represent the overall shape of their spectral energy distribution, as well as atomic and molecular line profiles both in the optical and near-infrared. We find that the actual fitted gravities of almost all our sample are consistent with old objects, except for LHS 73 where it is found to be surprisingly low. Based on observations made with the ESO Very Large Telescope at the Paranal Observatory under programme 092.D-0600(A).

Land cover characterization and land surface parameterization research

USGS Publications Warehouse

Steyaert, Louis T.; Loveland, Thomas R.; Parton, William J.

1997-01-01

The understanding of land surface processes and their parameterization in atmospheric, hydrologic, and ecosystem models has been a dominant research theme over the past decade. For example, many studies have demonstrated the key role of land cover characteristics as controlling factors in determining land surface processes, such as the exchange of water, energy, carbon, and trace gases between the land surface and the lower atmosphere. The requirements for multiresolution land cover characteristics data to support coupled-systems modeling have also been well documented, including the need for data on land cover type, land use, and many seasonally variable land cover characteristics, such as albedo, leaf area index, canopy conductance, surface roughness, and net primary productivity. Recently, the developers of land data have worked more closely with the land surface process modelers in these efforts.

Recent directions taken in water, energy, and biogeochemical budgets research

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lins, Harry F.

1994-01-01

Understanding and predicting global change is a major scientific focus of the late 20th century. Although atmospheric scientists have made substantial progress in developing models that account for many components of the climate system, significant progress is needed in understanding processes associated with the exchange of water, energy, and carbon between terrestrial systems and the atmosphere.To strengthen terrestrial process research, especially research associated with the interactions of water, energy, gases, nutrients, and vegetation, the U.S. Geological Survey initiated an intensive study of Water, Energy, and Biogeochemical Budgets (WEBB). WEBB is aimed at improving understanding of processes controlling terrestrial water, energy, and biogeochemical fluxes, their interactions, and their relations to climatic variables; and the ability to predict continental water, energy, and biogeochemical budgets over a range of spatial and temporal scales.

Enhancing Stability of Perovskite Solar Cells to Moisture by the Facile Hydrophobic Passivation.

PubMed

Hwang, Insung; Jeong, Inyoung; Lee, Jinwoo; Ko, Min Jae; Yong, Kijung

2015-08-12

In this study, a novel and facile passivation process for a perovskite solar cell is reported. Poor stability in ambient atmosphere, which is the most critical demerit of a perovskite solar cell, is overcome by a simple passivation process using a hydrophobic polymer layer. Teflon, the hydrophobic polymer, is deposited on the top of a perovskite solar cell by a spin-coating method. With the hydrophobic passivation, the perovskite solar cell shows negligible degradation after a 30 day storage in ambient atmosphere. Suppressed degradation of the perovskite film is proved in various ways: X-ray diffraction, light absorption spectrum, and quartz crystal microbalance. This simple but effective passivation process suggests new kind of approach to enhance stability of perovskite solar cells to moisture.

78 FR 57273 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Ohio; Redesignation of the...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-09-18

... chemical reactions or other processes in the atmosphere. \\2\\ NO X and SO 2 are precursors for fine particulates through chemical reactions and other related processes in the atmosphere. Finally, EPA is...

Machine processing of ERTS and ground truth data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rogers, R. H. (Principal Investigator); Peacock, K.

1973-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Results achieved by ERTS-Atmospheric Experiment PR303, whose objective is to establish a radiometric calibration technique, are reported. This technique, which determines and removes solar and atmospheric parameters that degrade the radiometric fidelity of ERTS-1 data, transforms the ERTS-1 sensor radiance measurements to absolute target reflectance signatures. A radiant power measuring instrument and its use in determining atmospheric parameters needed for ground truth are discussed. The procedures used and results achieved in machine processing ERTS-1 computer -compatible tapes and atmospheric parameters to obtain target reflectance are reviewed.

Global Precipitation Responses to Land Hydrological Processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lo, M.; Famiglietti, J. S.

2012-12-01

Several studies have established that soil moisture increases after adding a groundwater component in land surface models due to the additional supply of subsurface water. However, impacts of groundwater on the spatial-temporal variability of precipitation have received little attention. Through the coupled groundwater-land-atmosphere model (NCAR Community Atmosphere Model + Community Land Model) simulations, this study explores how groundwater representation in the model alters the precipitation spatiotemporal distributions. Results indicate that the effect of groundwater on the amount of precipitation is not globally homogeneous. Lower tropospheric water vapor increases due to the presence of groundwater in the model. The increased water vapor destabilizes the atmosphere and enhances the vertical upward velocity and precipitation in tropical convective regions. Precipitation, therefore, is inhibited in the descending branch of convection. As a result, an asymmetric dipole is produced over tropical land regions along the equator during the summer. This is analogous to the "rich-get-richer" mechanism proposed by previous studies. Moreover, groundwater also increased short-term (seasonal) and long-term (interannual) memory of precipitation for some regions with suitable groundwater table depth and found to be a function of water table depth. Based on the spatial distributions of the one-month-lag autocorrelation coefficients as well as Hurst coefficients, air-land interaction can occur from short (several months) to long (several years) time scales. This study indicates the importance of land hydrological processes in the climate system and the necessity of including the subsurface processes in the global climate models.

A review of observations of organic matter in fogs and clouds: Origin, processing and fate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herckes, Pierre; Valsaraj, Kalliat T.; Collett, Jeffrey L.

2013-10-01

While fog and cloud composition has been studied for decades, most of the research was limited to inorganic species and fog acidity. Recently the focus has shifted towards organic matter in the atmospheric aqueous phase of fogs and clouds: its origin, reactivity and fate. An impressive number of fog and cloud chemistry observational studies have been performed over the last decade throughout the world. In the present work we will review the state of knowledge of atmospheric organic matter processing by fogs, with a focus on field observations. We start by reviewing observational studies in general and then discuss our knowledge on the occurrence of organic matter in fogs, its solubility, characterization and molecular speciation. Organic carbon concentrations can vary widely from approximately 1 mg C/L in remote marine environments to more than 100 mg C/L in polluted radiation fogs, accounting for a substantial part of fogwater solutes. The carbonaceous material can enter the droplets from the gas and particle phase and the scavenging behavior of fogs will be detailed. Observational studies showed evidence of aqueous phase transformation of organic material, in particular secondary organic aerosol (SOA) generation, in fog. Recent observations of biological material in fog suggest also an impact of biological processing within the droplets on fog organic matter. The review will end with a discussion of the impact of fog on the deposition fluxes of organic material and hence its atmospheric lifetime.

A study of the mechanism of internal gravity wave generation by quasigeostrophic meteorological motions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Medvedev, A. S.

1987-01-01

Numerous experiments on the detection of atmospheric waves in the frequency range from acoustic to planetary at meteor heights have revealed that important wave sources are meteorological processes in the troposphere (cyclones, atmospheric fronts, jet streams, etc.). A dynamical theory based on the others work include describing the adaptation of meteorological fields to the geostropic equilibrium state. According to this theory, wave motions appear as a result of constant competition between the maladjustment of the wind and pressure fields due to nonlinear effects and the tendency of the atmosphere to establish a quasi-geostrophic equilibrium of these fields. These meteorological fields are discussed.

A study of the mechanism of internal gravity wave generation by quasigeostrophic meteorological motions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Medvedev, A. S.

1987-08-01

Numerous experiments on the detection of atmospheric waves in the frequency range from acoustic to planetary at meteor heights have revealed that important wave sources are meteorological processes in the troposphere (cyclones, atmospheric fronts, jet streams, etc.). A dynamical theory based on the others work include describing the adaptation of meteorological fields to the geostropic equilibrium state. According to this theory, wave motions appear as a result of constant competition between the maladjustment of the wind and pressure fields due to nonlinear effects and the tendency of the atmosphere to establish a quasi-geostrophic equilibrium of these fields. These meteorological fields are discussed.

Meteorology ans solar physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schwarz, Oliver

When in the second half of the 19th century both solar physics and astrophysics came into existence, various solar phenomena were described by analogies encountered in the terrestrial atmosphere. For a certain time, meteorology played a central role in research on solar processes. At first glance, this may appear as a curious and old-fashioned specialty. However, solar physics owes its first insights into solar structure to various analogies in terrestrial atmospheric studies. The present investigation intends to elucidate this fact, to present details of the historical development, and to demonstrate how our present knowledge in certain fields is based on considerations which were originally taken from the description of the terrestrial atmosphere.

Nonlinear dynamics of global atmospheric and Earth-system processes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Saltzman, Barry; Ebisuzaki, Wesley; Maasch, Kirk A.; Oglesby, Robert; Pandolfo, Lionel

1991-01-01

General Circulation Model (GCM) studies of the atmospheric response to change boundary conditions are discussed. Results are reported on an extensive series of numerical studies based on the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Community Climate Model (CCM) general circulation model. In these studies the authors determined the response to systematic changes in atmospheric CO2 ranging from 100 to 1000 ppm; to changes in the prescribed sea surface temperature (SST) in the Gulf of Mexico, such as occurred during the deglaciation phase of the last ice age; to changes in soil moisture over North America; and to changes in sea ice extent in the Southern Hemisphere. Study results show that the response of surface temperature and other variables is nearly logarithmic, with lower levels of CO2 implying greater sensitivity of the atmospheric state to changes in CO2. It was found that the surface temperature of the Gulf of Mexico exerts considerable control over the storm track and behavior of storm systems over the North Atlantic through its influence on evaporation and the source of latent heat. It was found that reductions in soil moisture can play a significant role in amplifying and maintaining North American drought, particularly when a negative soil moisture anomaly prevails late in the spring.

Demonstrating new technologies to improve atmospheric sounding science using the CubeSat Infrared Atmospheric Sounder (CIRAS).

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pagano, T. S.

2017-12-01

Hyperspectral infrared sounding of the atmosphere has become a vital element in the observational system for weather forecast prediction at National Weather Prediction (NWP) centers worldwide. The NASA Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument was the pathfinder for the hyperspectral infrared observations and was designed to provide accurate atmospheric temperature and water vapor profile information in support of weather prediction, climate processes and weather related applications. AIRS was launched in 2002 and continues to operate well. JPL NASA is offering an alternate hyperspectral IR sounder architecture for the future involving CubeSats under the Earth Science Technology Office (ESTO) In-flight Validation of Earth Science Technologies (InVEST) program. The latest technology in large format focal plane assemblies, wide field optics and active cryocoolers enables a reduction in size, mass and cost of the legacy sounders and offer new orbit configurations. The CubeSat Infrared Atmospheric Sounder (CIRAS) employs an MWIR spectrometer operating from 4.08-5.13 µm with 625 channels and spectral resolution of 1.2-2.0 cm-1 to achieve lower tropospheric temperature and water vapor profiles. The CIRAS is packaged in a 6U CubeSat and uses less than 14 W. CIRAS is under development at NASA JPL and scheduled for launch in 2019. This presentation will discuss the CIRAS measurement approach, development status and the plan to demonstrate, in-orbit, higher spatial resolution IR sounding to support new science involving regional weather prediction, applications and weather process studies.

Incorporating dynamic root growth enhances the performance of Noah-MP at two contrasting winter wheat field sites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gayler, Sebastian; Wöhling, Thomas; Ingwersen, Joachim; Wizemann, Hans-Dieter; Warrach-Sagi, Kirsten; Attinger, Sabine; Streck, Thilo; Wulmeyer, Volker

2014-05-01

Interactions between the soil, the vegetation, and the atmospheric boundary layer require close attention when predicting water fluxes in the hydrogeosystem, agricultural systems, weather and climate. However, land-surface schemes used in large scale models continue to show deficits in consistently simulating fluxes of water and energy from the subsurface through vegetation layers to the atmosphere. In this study, the multi-physics version of the Noah land-surface model (Noah-MP) was used to identify the processes, which are most crucial for a simultaneous simulation of water and heat fluxes between land-surface and the lower atmosphere. Comprehensive field data sets of latent and sensible heat fluxes, ground heat flux, soil moisture, and leaf area index from two contrasting field sites in South-West Germany are used to assess the accuracy of simulations. It is shown that an adequate representation of vegetation-related processes is the most important control for a consistent simulation of energy and water fluxes in the soil-plant-atmosphere system. In particular, using a newly implemented sub-module to simulate root growth dynamics has enhanced the performance of Noah-MP at both field sites. We conclude that further advances in the representation of leaf area dynamics and root/soil moisture interactions are the most promising starting points for improving the simulation of feedbacks between the sub-soil, land-surface and atmosphere in fully-coupled hydrological and atmospheric models.

Ionospheric Bow Waves and Perturbations Induced by the 21 August 2017 Solar Eclipse

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Shun-Rong; Erickson, Philip J.; Goncharenko, Larisa P.; Coster, Anthea J.; Rideout, William; Vierinen, Juha

2017-12-01

During solar eclipses, the Moon's shadow causes a large reduction in atmospheric energy input, including not only the stratosphere but also the thermosphere and ionosphere. The eclipse shadow has a supersonic motion which is theoretically expected to generate atmospheric bow waves, similar to a fast-moving river boat, with waves starting in the lower atmosphere and propagating into the ionosphere. However, previous geographically limited observations have had difficulty detecting these weak waves within the natural background atmospheric variability, and the existence of eclipse-induced ionospheric waves and their evolution in a complex coupling system remain controversial. During the 21 August 2017 eclipse, high fidelity and wide coverage ionospheric observations provided for the first time an oversampled set of eclipse data, using a dense network of Global Navigation Satellite System receivers at ˜2,000 sites in North America. We show the first unambiguous evidence of ionospheric bow waves as electron content disturbances over central/eastern United States, with ˜1 h duration, 300-400 km wavelength and 280 m/s phase speed emanating from and tailing the totality region. We also identify large ionospheric perturbations moving at the supersonic speed of the maximum solar obscuration which are too fast to be associated with known gravity wave or large-scale traveling ionospheric disturbance processes. This study reveals complex interconnections between the Sun, Moon, and Earth's neutral atmosphere and ionosphere and demonstrates persistent coupling processes between different components of the Earth's atmosphere, a topic of significant community interest.

Atmospheric Effects on InSAR Measurements and Their Mitigation

PubMed Central

Ding, Xiao-li; Li, Zhi-wei; Zhu, Jian-jun; Feng, Guang-cai; Long, Jiang-ping

2008-01-01

Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) is a powerful technology for observing the Earth surface, especially for mapping the Earth's topography and deformations. InSAR measurements are however often significantly affected by the atmosphere as the radar signals propagate through the atmosphere whose state varies both in space and in time. Great efforts have been made in recent years to better understand the properties of the atmospheric effects and to develop methods for mitigating the effects. This paper provides a systematic review of the work carried out in this area. The basic principles of atmospheric effects on repeat-pass InSAR are first introduced. The studies on the properties of the atmospheric effects, including the magnitudes of the effects determined in the various parts of the world, the spectra of the atmospheric effects, the isotropic properties and the statistical distributions of the effects, are then discussed. The various methods developed for mitigating the atmospheric effects are then reviewed, including the methods that are based on PSInSAR processing, the methods that are based on interferogram modeling, and those that are based on external data such as GPS observations, ground meteorological data, and satellite data including those from the MODIS and MERIS. Two examples that use MODIS and MERIS data respectively to calibrate atmospheric effects on InSAR are also given. PMID:27873822

Atmospheric Effects on InSAR Measurements and Their Mitigation.

PubMed

Ding, Xiao-Li; Li, Zhi-Wei; Zhu, Jian-Jun; Feng, Guang-Cai; Long, Jiang-Ping

2008-09-03

Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) is a powerful technology for observing the Earth surface, especially for mapping the Earth's topography and deformations. InSAR measurements are however often significantly affected by the atmosphere as the radar signals propagate through the atmosphere whose state varies both in space and in time. Great efforts have been made in recent years to better understand the properties of the atmospheric effects and to develop methods for mitigating the effects. This paper provides a systematic review of the work carried out in this area. The basic principles of atmospheric effects on repeat-pass InSAR are first introduced. The studies on the properties of the atmospheric effects, including the magnitudes of the effects determined in the various parts of the world, the spectra of the atmospheric effects, the isotropic properties and the statistical distributions of the effects, are then discussed. The various methods developed for mitigating the atmospheric effects are then reviewed, including the methods that are based on PSInSAR processing, the methods that are based on interferogram modeling, and those that are based on external data such as GPS observations, ground meteorological data, and satellite data including those from the MODIS and MERIS. Two examples that use MODIS and MERIS data respectively to calibrate atmospheric effects on InSAR are also given.

Comparative Climatology of Terrestrial Planets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mackwell, Stephen J.; Simon-Miller, Amy A.; Harder, Jerald W.; Bullock, Mark A.

Public awareness of climate change on Earth is currently very high, promoting significant interest in atmospheric processes. We are fortunate to live in an era where it is possible to study the climates of many planets, including our own, using spacecraft and groundbased observations as well as advanced computational power that allows detailed modeling. Planetary atmospheric dynamics and structure are all governed by the same basic physics. Thus differences in the input variables (such as composition, internal structure, and solar radiation) among the known planets provide a broad suite of natural laboratory settings for gaining new understanding of these physical processes and their outcomes. Diverse planetary settings provide insightful comparisons to atmospheric processes and feedbacks on Earth, allowing a greater understanding of the driving forces and external influences on our own planetary climate. They also inform us in our search for habitable environments on planets orbiting distant stars, a topic that was a focus of Exoplanets, the preceding book in the University of Arizona Press Space Sciences Series. Quite naturally, and perhaps inevitably, our fascination with climate is largely driven toward investigating the interplay between the early development of life and the presence of a suitable planetary climate. Our understanding of how habitable planets come to be begins with the worlds closest to home. Venus, Earth, and Mars differ only modestly in their mass and distance from the Sun, yet their current climates could scarcely be more divergent. Our purpose for this book is to set forth the foundations for this emerging science and to bring to the forefront our current understanding of atmospheric formation and climate evolution. Although there is significant comparison to be made to atmospheric processes on nonterrestrial planets in our solar system — the gas and ice giants — here we focus on the terrestrial planets, leaving even broader comparisons to a future volume. Our authors have taken on the task to look at climate on the terrestrial planets in the broadest sense possible — by comparing the atmospheric processes at work on the four terrestrial bodies, Earth, Venus, Mars, and Titan (Titan is included because it hosts many of the common processes), and on terrestrial planets around other stars. These processes include the interactions of shortwave and thermal radiation with the atmosphere, condensation and vaporization of volatiles, atmospheric dynamics, chemistry and aerosol formation, and the role of the surface and interior in the long-term evolution of climate. Chapters herein compare the scientific questions, analysis methods, numerical models, and spacecraft remote sensing experiments of Earth and the other terrestrial planets, emphasizing the underlying commonality of physical processes. We look to the future by identifying objectives for ongoing research and new missions. Through these pages we challenge practicing planetary scientists, and most importantly new students of any age, to find pathways and synergies for advancing the field. In Part I, Foundations, we introduce the fundamental physics of climate on terrestrial planets. Starting with the best studied planet by far, Earth, the first chapters discuss what is known and what is not known about the atmospheres and climates of the terrestrial planets of the solar system and beyond. In Part II, Greenhouse Effect and Atmospheric Dynamics, we focus on the processes that govern atmospheric motion and the role that general circulation models play in our current understanding. In Part III, Clouds and Hazes, we provide an in-depth look at the many effects of clouds and aerosols on planetary climate. Although this is a vigorous area of research in the Earth sciences, and very strongly influences climate modeling, the important role that aerosols and clouds play in the climate of all planets is not yet well constrained. This section is intended to stimulate further research on this critical subject. The study of climate involves much more than understanding atmospheric processes. This subtlety is particularly appreciated for Earth, where chemical cycles, geology, ocean influences, and biology are considered in most climate models. In Part IV, Surface and Interior, we look at the role that geochemical cycles, volcanism, and interior mantle processes play in the stability and evolution of terrestrial planetary climates. There is one vital commonality between the climates of all the planets of the solar system: Regardless of the different processes that dominate each of the climates of Earth, Mars, Venus, and Titan, they are all ultimately forced by radiation from the same star, albeit at variable distances. In Part V, Solar Influences, we discuss how the Sun's early evolution affected the climates of the terrestrial planets, and how it continues to control the temperatures and compositions of planetary atmospheres. This will be of particular interest as models of exoplanets, and the influences of much different stellar types and distances, are advanced by further observations. Comparisons of atmospheric and climate processes between the planets in our solar system has been a focus of numerous conferences over the past decade, including the Exoclimes conference series. In particular, this book project was closely tied to a conference on Comparative Climatology of Terrestrial Planets that was held in Boulder, Colorado, on June 25-28, 2012. This book benefited from the opportunity for the author teams to interact and obtain feedback from the broader community, but the chapters do not in general tie directly to presentations at the conference. The conference, which was organized by a diverse group of atmospheric and climate scientists led by Mark Bullock and Lori Glaze, sought to build connections between the various communities, focusing on synergies and complementary capabilities. Discussion panels at the end of most sessions served to build connections between planetary, solar, astrophysics, and Earth climate scientists. These presentations and discussions allowed broadening of the author teams and tuning of the material in each chapter. Comparative Climatology of Terrestrial Planets is the 38th book in the University of Arizona Press Space Sciences Series. The support and guidance from General Editor Richard Binzel has been critical in timely production of a quality volume. Renée Dotson of the Lunar and Planetary Institute, with support from Elizabeth Cunningham and Katy Buckaloo, provided outstanding help in the management of the book project and especially in the preparation of the chapters for publication. Her quiet reminders and attention to detail are critical in making the Space Science Series such an asset for the planetary science community. As for so many other books in this series, William Hartmann used his artistic skills to masterfully capture the book's theme. Much gratitude is owed to Adriana Ocampo of NASA Headquarters for her support of both the conference and book projects and her shepherding of the NASA contributions from the diverse groups within the Science Mission Directorate. Equally, James Green and Jonathan Rall of NASA Headquarters provided the financial resources and corporate oversight that helped make this book project such a success.

Tracing Nitrate Deposition Using Δ 17O

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Michalski, G m; Hernandez, L.; Meixner, T.; Fenn, M.; Thiemens, M.

2001-12-01

Assessing the impact of atmospheric deposition of fixed nitrogen on local, regional, and global biogeochemical cycles has received much attention in recent years. Local and regional ecosystems can suffer from eutrophication and shrinking biodiversity from the increased nitrogen flux, in addition to degradation associated with acid rain ( an increasing proportion of which is as HNO3 ). On a global scale, the effect of nitrogen fertilization on CO2 uptake rates is one of the biggest unknowns in global warming research. This renewed interest has led to new attempts to utilize current, and in the development of new, analytical techniques in order to better understand the source, sink and transport mechanisms of atmospheric nitrogen deposition. Its role as the primary sink of the NOx cycle makes atmospheric nitrate (as particulate nitrate or nitric acid ) the primary source of nitrogen deposition. Stable isotopes of nitrogen and oxygen have been used by several researchers to trace atmospheric nitrate through the biogeochemical system. 15N ratios have been problematic due to the lack of large fractionations and an overlap of 15N ratios between sources. Initial studies of 18O ratios showed promise due to the large enrichment (60 ‰ ) in atmospheric nitrate. However, subsequent studies showed an δ 18O spread of 25 - 80 ‰ and have made quantitative analysis of mixing reservoirs difficult. No studies of δ 17O nitrates have been published. For δ 17O, thermodynamic, kinetic, and equilibrium isotope effects dictate that δ 17O = .52 x δ 18O . Certain photochemical processes violate this rule due to quantum effects and are quantified by Δ 17O = δ 17O -.52 x δ 18O which are called mass independent fractionations (MIF). Atmospheric nitrates have now been measured and have been found to have a large MIF; Δ 17O ~ 25 ‰ and a small range +/- 4‰ . The large variations in δ 18O of atmospheric nitrate are due to mass dependent fractions from transport and source ratios, and do not effect the Δ 17O. In addition, post depositional fractionations associated with soil migration and microbial utilization are mass dependent processes. The Δ 17O can then be used as a conservative trace of atmospheric nitrate deposition. A variety of soil measurements demonstrate the practicality of using MIF of atmospheric nitrate as a conservative tracer. Antarctic soils have a Δ 17O ~ 30 ‰ acknowledging they are purely atmospheric in origin. Chilean desert soils with Δ 17O ~ 20 ‰ be 2/3 atmospheric and 1/3 biologically derived. Mojave desert soils Δ 17O range from ~ 0 -16 ‰ indicating that some soils are dominated by biologic nitrification and others have in excess of 50 % atmospheric contribution. Stream waters collected in southern California show a Δ 17O of 0-5 ‰ indicating atmospheric contributions of 0 to 20 %.

Effect of internal and external conditions on ionization processes in the FAPA ambient desorption/ionization source.

PubMed

Orejas, Jaime; Pfeuffer, Kevin P; Ray, Steven J; Pisonero, Jorge; Sanz-Medel, Alfredo; Hieftje, Gary M

2014-11-01

Ambient desorption/ionization (ADI) sources coupled to mass spectrometry (MS) offer outstanding analytical features: direct analysis of real samples without sample pretreatment, combined with the selectivity and sensitivity of MS. Since ADI sources typically work in the open atmosphere, ambient conditions can affect the desorption and ionization processes. Here, the effects of internal source parameters and ambient humidity on the ionization processes of the flowing atmospheric pressure afterglow (FAPA) source are investigated. The interaction of reagent ions with a range of analytes is studied in terms of sensitivity and based upon the processes that occur in the ionization reactions. The results show that internal parameters which lead to higher gas temperatures afforded higher sensitivities, although fragmentation is also affected. In the case of humidity, only extremely dry conditions led to higher sensitivities, while fragmentation remained unaffected.

Study on Tritium Removal Performance by Gas Separation Membrane with Reflux Flow for Tritium Removal System of Fusion Reactor

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Iwai, Yasunori; Yamanishi, Toshihiko; Hayashi, Takumi

2005-07-15

Addition of gas separation membrane process into the usual tritium removal process from an indoor atmosphere is attractive for a fusion plant, where a large amount of atmosphere should be processed. As a manner to improve the partial pressure difference between feed and permeated side, intended reflux of vapor and the hydrogen concentrated at permeated side is conceived to enlarge the partial pressure difference. Membrane separation with reflux flow has been proposed as an attractive process to enhance the recovery ratio of tritium component. Effect of reflux on the recovery ratio of tritium component was evaluated by numerical analysis. Themore » effect of reflux on separation performance becomes striking as the target species have higher permeability coefficients. Hence, the gas separation by membrane with reflux flow is favorable for tritium recovery.« less

Intercomparison and interpretation of climate feedback processes in 19 atmospheric general circulation models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cess, R. D.; Potter, G. L.; Blanchet, J. P.; Boer, G. J.; Del Genio, A. D.

1990-01-01

The present study provides an intercomparison and interpretation of climate feedback processes in 19 atmospheric general circulation models. This intercomparison uses sea surface temperature change as a surrogate for climate change. The interpretation of cloud-climate interactions is given special attention. A roughly threefold variation in one measure of global climate sensitivity is found among the 19 models. The important conclusion is that most of this variation is attributable to differences in the models' depiction of cloud feedback, a result that emphasizes the need for improvements in the treatment of clouds in these models if they are ultimately to be used as reliable climate predictors. It is further emphazied that cloud feedback is the consequence of all interacting physical and dynamical processes in a general circulation model. The result of these processes is to produce changes in temperature, moisture distribution, and clouds which are integrated into the radiative response termed cloud feedback.

Selective Oxidation of a 0.1C-6Mn-2Si Third Generation Advanced High-Strength Steel During Dew-Point Controlled Annealing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pourmajidian, Maedeh; McDermid, Joseph R.

2018-03-01

The present study investigates the selective oxidation of a 0.1C-6Mn-2Si medium-Mn advanced high-strength steel during austenization annealing heat treatments as a function of process atmosphere oxygen partial pressure and annealing time. It was determined that the surface oxide growth kinetics followed a parabolic rate law with the minimum rate belonging to the lowest oxygen partial pressure atmosphere at a dew point of 223 K (- 50 °C). The chemistry of the surface and subsurface oxides was studied using STEM + EELS on the sample cross sections, and it was found that the surface oxides formed under the 223 K (- 50 °C) dew-point atmosphere consisted of a layered configuration of SiO2, MnSiO3, and MnO, while in the case of the higher pO2 process atmospheres, only MnO was detected at the surface. Consistent with the Wagner calculations, it was shown that the transition to internal oxidation for Mn occurred under the 243 K (- 30 °C) and 278 K (+ 5 °C) dew-point atmospheres. However, the predictions of the external to internal oxidation for Si using the Wagner model did not correlate well with the experimental findings nor did the predictions of the Mataigne et al. model for multi-element alloys. Investigations of the internal oxide network at the grain boundaries revealed a multilayer oxide structure composed of amorphous SiO2 and crystalline MnSiO3, respectively, at the oxide core and outer shell. A mechanism for the formation of the oxide morphologies observed, based on kinetic and thermodynamic factors, was proposed. It is expected that only the fine and nodule-like MnO oxides formed on the surface of the samples annealed under the 278 K (+ 5 °C) dew-point process atmosphere for 60 and 120 seconds are sufficiently thin and of the desired dispersed morphology to promote reactive wetting by the molten galvanizing bath.

Radiative transfer through terrestrial atmosphere and ocean: Software package SCIATRAN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rozanov, V. V.; Rozanov, A. V.; Kokhanovsky, A. A.; Burrows, J. P.

2014-01-01

SCIATRAN is a comprehensive software package for the modeling of radiative transfer processes in the terrestrial atmosphere and ocean in the spectral range from the ultraviolet to the thermal infrared (0.18 - 40 μm) including multiple scattering processes, polarization, thermal emission and ocean-atmosphere coupling. The software is capable of modeling spectral and angular distributions of the intensity or the Stokes vector of the transmitted, scattered, reflected, and emitted radiation assuming either a plane-parallel or a spherical atmosphere. Simulations are done either in the scalar or in the vector mode (i.e. accounting for the polarization) for observations by space-, air-, ship- and balloon-borne, ground-based, and underwater instruments in various viewing geometries (nadir, off-nadir, limb, occultation, zenith-sky, off-axis). All significant radiative transfer processes are accounted for. These are, e.g. the Rayleigh scattering, scattering by aerosol and cloud particles, absorption by gaseous components, and bidirectional reflection by an underlying surface including Fresnel reflection from a flat or roughened ocean surface. The software package contains several radiative transfer solvers including finite difference and discrete-ordinate techniques, an extensive database, and a specific module for solving inverse problems. In contrast to many other radiative transfer codes, SCIATRAN incorporates an efficient approach to calculate the so-called Jacobians, i.e. derivatives of the intensity with respect to various atmospheric and surface parameters. In this paper we discuss numerical methods used in SCIATRAN to solve the scalar and vector radiative transfer equation, describe databases of atmospheric, oceanic, and surface parameters incorporated in SCIATRAN, and demonstrate how to solve some selected radiative transfer problems using the SCIATRAN package. During the last decades, a lot of studies have been published demonstrating that SCIATRAN is a valuable tool for a wide range of remote sensing applications. Here, we present some selected comparisons of SCIATRAN simulations to published benchmark results, independent radiative transfer models, and various measurements from satellite, ground-based, and ship instruments. Methods for solving inverse problems related to remote sensing of the Earth's atmosphere using the SCIATRAN software are outside the scope of this study and will be discussed in a follow-up paper. The SCIATRAN software package along with a detailed User's Guide is freely available for non-commercial use via the webpage of the Institute of Environmental Physics (IUP), University of Bremen: http://www.iup.physik.uni-bremen.de/sciatran.